A bio-bitumen product using repurposed materials including recycled crushed glass, asphalt and crumbed rubber derived from end-of-life tyres is being used as part of a trial in NSW.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) recently laid the bio-bitumen asphalt, also known as ECO5, on a section of road at Raymond Terrace as part of the trial.
The carbon footprint of ECO5 asphalt is 30 per cent less than that of conventional asphalt.
“This trial is an important milestone in moving towards using more sustainable and environmentally friendly materials as part of our daily road practices,” said Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington.
“The asphalt company Colas developed the ECO5 product, and the asphalt produced for this trial came out of their Tomago plant in Port Stephens. The product was developed through a combination of local and international research and development.
“It’s great to see Port Stephens is laying the foundations for a greener future and better local roads.”
TfNSW will monitor the trial over coming months and, if successful, it could pave the way for similar technology to be adopted across the state’s road network.
“Transport for NSW wanted to see what sort of environmentally beneficial asphalt products were out in the market and what we could utilise on our roads as a better environmental product,” said TfNSW senior manager maintenance and delivery north, Stuart Baverstock.
“Transport for NSW uses a huge amount of asphalt. It is a very carbon-rich product, so if we can reduce that even in small amounts then we will get huge savings.”