Scientists at Aston University have developed a way to turn ordinary domestic waste into material suitable for laying roads and pavements.
The process [called pyrolysis] breaks down organic bin waste, such as decomposed food, paper and plastic, to produce a black, highly viscous fluid similar to bitumen... The researchers believe their material will use at least four times more "waste fraction" than the 'plastic road' pilots that are currently being tested by several UK councils... If adopted widely, Aston’s so-called bio-bitumen could not only reduce asphalt consumption but also reduce the 7.7 million tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste that is sent to landfill each year...
Asphalt, produced by mixing bitumen with minerals, is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in road construction.
Plastic bags and packaging are to be incorporated in a road being built as a trial project in Australia.
Soft plastics from approximately 200,000 plastic bags and items of packaging will be used, together with the equivalent of 63,000 glass bottles. Along with the soft plastics and glass, toner from more than 4,500 used printer cartridges and 50t of recycled asphalt have also been repurposed to create the 250t of asphalt needed to construct the road in Craigieburn in the north of Melbourne... “What is also pleasing to see is that this sustainable, cost-competitive road has a 65 per cent improvement in fatigue life and a superior resistance to deformation making the road last longer, and allowing it to better handle heavy vehicle traffic.”
