By Shelby Brooks
Two kilometres of roadway in Berwick is being constructed using recycled materials, diverting approximately 1,356,000 plastic bags from landfill.
The project, currently underway in the Stockland Minta estate, will be Australia’s largest environmentally friendly road project using surfacing material made from Reconophalt.
The material will also divert approximately 39,610 printer cartridges and 724 tonnes of recycled asphalt – saving the equivalent of 23.08 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 9.5 cars coming off the road for one year.
The Minta Reconophalt project is a combination of work between Stockland, City of Casey
Council, Downer Road Services and Winslow Constructors Australia.
Upon completion, and combined with two other recycled road projects in the estate, the total length of road will be 2,430 metres and the total area of pavement will be 17,800 square metres.
Downer Road Service group manager Karen Winsbury said there had never been a greater need to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill with soft plastic, tyres, glass and excavation waste being major issues globally.
“We needed to minimise the extraction of natural resources for use in this much needed
infrastructure development – that’s why Downer has invested heavily over the past 10 years to
create economic, social and environmental benefit for our customers and their communities by
pulling products, not pushing waste.
The project at Stockland Minta is a great example of forward-thinking, large scale projects that use these materials,” Ms Winsbury said.
