NSW gets its own revolutionary road
Date: 13-Aug-18
Author: Liam Taylor
Deputy CEO Rebecca Gilling in attendance at the laying of NSW's first 'Plastiphalt' road.
Is Australia’s waste crisis driving you mad? Why not drive on a road to the future?
‘Plastiphalt’ is a new material containing recycled glass, used printer cartridge toner, recycled asphalt and soft plastics collected from supermarkets. Last week the first trial of the road surface in NSW was installed along the Old Princes Highway at Engadine in Sutherland Shire.
The 250-metre long section contains 176,000 plastic bags, 55,440 glass bottles and toner from 3960 used printer cartridges mixed with recycled asphalt from older roads. The printer cartridge toner is sourced from cartridges recycled through the Cartridges 4 Planet Ark program.
The surface not only tackles Australia’s waste crisis, but also performs better and lasts longer than standard asphalt. Even better, the surface can be removed, processed and recycled into new roads at its end of life.
Following China’s crackdown on imported waste with the China Sword policy, innovative solutions to Australia’s waste crisis are in demand. Pete Shmigel, CEO of the Australian Council of Recycling, was effusive in his praise for the Plastiphalt road surface.
“Plastiphalt is a positive example of what can be done in response to the China threat because it gives us a stronger domestic market demand for the plastics that consumers and industry collect and sort here,” he said.
The technology is a collaboration between Australian companies Downer Engineering, Close the Loop and RED Group. Sutherland Shire is the second council to trial the new form of asphalt following Hume City Council, which was the first to install the surface in Melbourne’s outer north-west earlier this year.
With only limited field testing to date, only time will tell if Plastiphalt is a feasible alternative to traditional asphalt moving forward. If these recent trials are successful, Australia could see more plastic roads rolled out in the near future.
Positive Action
- If you are in the area, check out the surface on the Old Princes Highway in Engadine, Sydney or Rayfield Avenue in Cragieburn, Melbourne. See if you notice the difference!
- Recycle your plastic bags and other soft plastics at REDcycle collection points at all Coles and Woolworths stores. Find a collection point.
- Recycle your used printer cartridges at Cartridges 4 Planet Ark collection boxes at Officeworks or participating Office National, Australia Post, Harvey Norman, Good Guys and JB Hi-fi stores. Click for more information.
Subscribe to Positive Environment News
Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.
Author: Liam Taylor
Liam is Planet Ark's Communications Coordinator. Prior to joining Planet Ark Liam spent his time studying global environmental issues, travelling Southeast Asia on the cheap and working for a sustainable property management company in Bali, Indonesia.
Liam is Planet Ark's Communications Coordinator. Prior to joining Planet Ark Liam spent his time studying global environmental issues, travelling Southeast Asia on the cheap and working for a sustainable property management company in Bali, Indonesia.
Related News:
- World’s most endangered primate making a slow comeback »
- Darling River showing signs of former glory after drought »
- Bike sales booming as Aussies hit the pedals »
- Great Barrier Reef divers using downtime to regenerate reef »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Time for winter warmers »
- Canadian prairies welcome first bison calf in over a century »
- Native grasslands rising from the ashes in bushfire regeneration project »
- Austria closes its last coal power plant »
- The top ten returners for Cartridges 4 Planet Ark »
- Volunteers remain to plant trees and sow seeds despite lockdown »
- France to offer cycling subsidies in coronavirus aftermath »
- Critically endangered orange-bellied parrot population shows signs of recovery »
- Threatened species index reveals success of conservation programs »
- Sweet release for bushfire-surviving platypuses »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Being an everyday radical »
- Milan begins ambitious transition away from car use »
- Considerable drop in ocean noise provides opportunity for research »
- Major cities get a breath of fresh air amid shutdowns »
- Australian scientists working to close the loop on steel waste »
- Quiet cities providing insights into Australia’s largest owl »
- Coronavirus restrictions allowing leatherbacks to thrive »
- Reintroduced beavers providing broader environmental benefits »
- Renewables take record share of new energy capacity added in 2019 »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Zero footprint travel »
- Norfolk Island fledglings a big breakthrough for rare owl species »
- Birds make a triumphant return to Menindee Lakes »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Low-waste living for dog owners »
- Mushroom waste research could help create circular industry »
- Bin outings get creative in wake of coronavirus isolation »
- South Atlantic humpback whale populations continue recovery »
- Building with timber could store millions of tons of carbon »
- Seedling sales indicate a return to backyard gardening »
- Bushfire surviving wildlife released back into wild »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Reducing one's 'monthly' environmental impact »
- Recent rains see rare desert frogs emerge from hiding »
- Critically endangered black rhino numbers rise »
- Woodchips to the rescue? Humble material could help protect Great Barrier Reef »
- Advancing a possible end to ‘forever chemicals' »
- New solutions to a messy situation »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Algae to the rescue again »
- Did you know you're a recycling hero? »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Geotagging and the environment »
- A turning point in carbon dioxide emissions? »
- Taking a sip out of atmospheric carbon »
- Bird-friendly glass becomes mandatory in New York city »
- Show your support for recycled products and win! »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Making change with home-compostable packaging »
- Unique fluorescent slug survives bushfires »
- A stewardship scheme for safety seats »
- 8 tips to remember your reusable cup »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Switching on to offsetting »
- Purifying sand could be key to addressing water shortages »
- Researchers call on citizen science to aid bushfire recovery »
- Microsoft aims to remove all historical carbon emissions »
- China announces plastic bag ban »
- Lord Howe woodhens back on track »
- Diego: The frisky tortoise who saved a species »
- The Mexican go-getters with a new spin on vegan leather »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Maintaining hope during tragedy »
- All-Indigenous firefighting crews to aid in bushfire recovery and prevention »
- E-bikes to become the transport of the twenties »
- Arts and crafts coming to the fore in wake of bushfires »
- How outback recyclers do their part without kerbside collection »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Benefits of shopping small »
- The fascinating plant species discovered in 2019 »
- The Singapore hotel with its own innovative rooftop farm »
- The solar-powered plant bringing drinking water to those in need »
- Australian students dance to end the drought »
- Have a gander at this conservation effort »
- The teenage boy saving fish from drought by hand »
- The world first “shark curtain” on Western Australia’s coastline »
- Italy makes climate change education mandatory in schools »
- Bringing back the beauty of darkness »
- Have yourselves a sustainable little Christmas »
- Top 6 holiday tips from RecyclingNearYou »
- Five things you shouldn't put in the recycling bin - ever! »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - 20 actions for an eco-friendly summer »
- The potato museum that could help us fight hunger in a changing climate »
- Bringing together traditional owners’ knowledge and modern tech »
- The outdoor clothing company making new clothes from old »
- South Korea’s capital leading the way on solar »
- The award-winning alternative to single-use plastic films »
- Trees can save costs and lives in record summer heat »
- Protecting and connecting: What can we learn from the indigenous worldview? »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Making meat-free must-have at Bodhi »
- Australian university saving big with innovative renewable energy project »
- Brisbane’s flourishing urban farms providing food for thought »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Sunscreen and the environment »
- The UK to end fracking for good following new study »
- The underwater heroes helping scientists understand sea snakes »
- Armidale residents taking wellbeing of local trees into their own hands »
- New York Harbor using one billion oysters to help fight climate change »
- A simple local solution for straws »
- The reusable Aussie tub that’s winning award after award »
- After over a century as Australia’s coal capital, Newcastle is going renewable »
- One man’s recipe to fight climate change: dung beetles and climate change »
- A safe haven for mammal on the brink »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - In defence of social media »
- Dutch and Australian foundations join forces for a circular economy »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Coffee complacency »
- NSW launches new innovation network for circular economy »
- Scottish council harnessing energy from wastewater for heating »
- How about some takeaway without the throwaway? »
- English couple creates a recycling centre in their own driveway »
- In-flight meal trays designed to reduce airline waste »
- The little coffee cup scheme going from strength to strength »
- The little coffee cup scheme going from strength to strength »
- The Sudbury story: From black to green »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Home grown »
- Young and old, to the streets, across the globe »
- 8 ways to spring clean sustainably »
- Barcelona ‘superblocks’ going car free to cut air pollution »
- Irish teenager awarded for protecting oceans from microplastics »
- Coastal beavers are helping bring back salmon populations »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Getting vocal about staying local »
- You create the trash, you take it away »
- Australian technology to help create world’s first plastic neutral nation »
- Federal funding for a greener recycling industry »
- Choose to reuse and get on the Garage Sale Trail »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - The overview effect »
- Paris rooftop to host world’s largest urban farm »
- Making wood for good in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie »
- Major hotel group taking aim at plastic waste as industry takes responsibility »
- South Australian volunteers make tracks with outback recycling »
- Australia on track for an electric revolution on the road »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Testing the bamboo bandwagon »
- Native mammal populations are bouncing back in Australia’s Red Centre »
- Dispatch from Tree Day - Friends of Lake Claremont »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Putting the microscope on plant milks »
- The UK is getting its first climate change teachers »
- The tyre recycling plant putting Warren on the map »
- The café bringing bartering back to reduce food waste »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Planting trees for National Tree Day and beyond »
- Pink Floyd guitarist's big donation to help fight climate change »
- Ecosystem restoration led by a paper company is improving Sumatra’s biodiversity »
- Looking for ways to fight climate change? Plant trees »
- A new world record for largest underwater cleanup »
- The family turning bottle caps into prosthetic limbs for children in need »
- Cereal company expands its beer brewing initiative to help fight food waste »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Low-waste travel and avoiding hotel consumables »
- How one couple created a rainforest sanctuary from desolation »
- UK leading the developed world in emissions legislation »
- International environmental agency committed to conservation in Australia »
- Public transport that provides more than one public good »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Single use is still an issue »
- Mr Titmarsh and the Magna Carta mangrove »
- A 'dose' of nature to cure your ailments »
- Some wart ointment with your plastic bag? »
- The disaster zone turned wildlife haven »
- Philippine students graduating with a green thumb »
- Sustainable printing? Yes, it is possible! »
- The volunteers working to protect a very iconic Australian animal »
- Queensland's container deposit scheme exceeding expectations »
- New campaign to green the globe with millions of trees »
- The European capital undertaking a rapid waste transformation »
- Cartridges 4 Planet Ark nails product stewardship at a time when most are finding their feet »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Bursting the bubble on balloons »
- Global coffee giant introduces pens made from recycled coffee capsules »
- Canberra to become first Australian jurisdiction powered by 100% renewable energy »
- The Bilby returns to NSW National Parks »
- Global plastic waste pact garners international support »
- Britain's coal-free week the first since 1882 »
- Australian volunteers enlisted for war on microplastic pollution »
- The revegetation plan to bring back the glossy black cockatoo »
- Who's in the top ten returners for Cartridges 4 Planet Ark? »
- Recycle your schools' printer cartridges in May to help protect our beaches »
- The recycling workshop up-skilling new workers »
- Workers at tech giant demand climate action »
- The revival pack for tired bees »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Underarm adventures »
- Transparent wood, an eco-friendly alternative to glass? »
- Recycling is not a con. Here's why »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - A daily eco-nudge with Today We Will »
- Technology leading the fight against invasive rubber vine »
- Western Australia commits to new waste strategy, better recycling targets »
- The trashy hashtag inspiring people to clean up »
- California reaches 2020 renewable energy goal ahead of schedule »
- The world is greener than it was 20 years ago »
- Australian councils investing in Seabins to clean our waters »
- Norway setting the standard for plastic bottle recycling »
- Research reveals Australia's most trusted recycling program »
- The four-legged friends finding leaks and saving water »
- Consumers choose Planet Ark as Australia's most ethical and sustainable organisation »
- Planet Ark's National Recycling Week 2018 recap »
- Global energy giant to produce household battery systems in Australia »
- Mardi Gras to shine glitter free in 2019 »
- Hawaiian coral reefs showing positive signs following mass bleaching »
- Worried about our buzzing friends? Buy and urge organic »
- Landmark ruling holds promise for addressing climate change »
- Aussie posties to go green with electric trikes »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Plugged in with my favourite sustainability podcasts »
- First power to flow from world's biggest offshore wind farm »
- New Zealand supermarkets go nude and ditch plastic »
- Sydney wins bid to host global climate conference for women »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Back to school the right way »
- Positive steps in climate change action in 2018 »
- New tree cover bringing back the rain in Cambodia »
- The tiny archipelago blazing a trail towards sustainability »
- Maasai Olympics provides alternative to lion hunting »
- Rethink - Sustainable clutter free living »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - New Year's eco-resolutions »
- Deforestation in Indonesia on the decline »
- $10 billion pledged to protecting global marine environment »
- New renewable energy now as cheap as existing coal stations »
- World's largest shipping company commits to phasing out fossil fuels »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - How to do disposables »
- Education, Indonesia-Australia relationship key to addressing NT plastic pollution »
- DNA of famous Galapagos tortoise could yield insights into ageing »
- Planet Ark announces media partnership with Australian Circular Fashion Conference »
- Important green dates for the 2019 school calendar »
- Spain bids farewell to coal »
- Ikea bans single-use plastics from all stores and restaurants »
- We're celebrating 40 million cartridges saved from landfill »
- The new regifting - giving recycled products »
- 5 things you can create from your holiday waste »
- Sharks returning to flourishing Maya Bay following tourist ban »
- The 'people's seat', headed by Attenborough, speaks up on climate change »
- Keep your eco footprint small these holidays with Planet Ark's holiday hacks »
- Plastic waste for transport? »
- Australian students take to the streets in the name of their future »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Shifting to regifting »
- Bag ban yielding results within first three months »
- Pakistan hits billion trees goal ahead of schedule »
- From predators to protectors - the Indian village that turned to conservation »
- International community approaching nature refuge goals »
- The new zero-emissions fuel made from mankind's most common byproduct »
- 'Single-use' named 2018 word of the year »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - the courage to act »
- Queenscliff's Lauren Esplin makes a point about disposable plastics »
- Chris Fong's tennis clocks »
- Ballarat's Food is Free Laneway »
- Burleigh Heads Boomerang Bags »
- Brisbane's recycled fashion shows »
- Reboot your perspective on recycling this National Recycling Week »
- Close the Loop winners at 2018 Hume Business Awards »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - The habit of walking »
- European parliament approves action on single-use plastics »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - If in doubt, leave it out »
- Researchers encouraged by cleanliness of Ningaloo Reef »
- Naturale pledges to end recycling labelling confusion »
- Agreement reached to safeguard Arctic ecosystems »
- Serranía de Chiribiquete becomes the world's largest tropical rainforest national park »
- Recycle Street is easy street for City of Gold Coast recyclers »
- A world first interactive museum for sustainable fashion »
- 'Best before' labels reach their use by date »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - a sticky environmental situation »
- New German trains to challenge diesel locomotives »
- New research sheds light on Australian attitudes towards environmental sustainability »
- Lake Macquarie Council paving the way for recycled roads »
- The funniest wildlife photos of 2018 »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Preloved clothing as your first fashion option »
- California commits to 100% clean energy by 2045 »
- The teenager tackling water contamination in remote Western Australia »
- Mountain gorilla numbers on the rise in Virunga »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Bringing in the green »
- A new standard in sustainable event management »
- Ethiopian community showing potential of revegetation »
- The music group turning trash into art »
- Bin the (tea) bag »
- Ireland divests from fossil fuels in world first »
- Our Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Ditching the glossy mags »
- Sydney breathing wall a world first »
- Turning the tide on trash with the ABC's War On Waste »
- Reflections on a Plastic Free July »
- Where are we with e-waste recycling? »
- Paperbark review: a sleepy wombat and a powerful story »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - New life for old things »
- Packaging industry moves towards better plastic recycling outcomes »
- Mexico City is turning its beltways into vertical gardens »
- A sustainable future for fashion »
- Trading trash for a hot cuppa »
- Everyday Enviro with Elise - Small changes with big impact »
- Secret Mozambique rainforest piques scientific interest »
- Budding Australian solutions for plastic waste »
- War on Waste is back! »
- Did your council or workplace make the top ten? »
- Cartridges 4 Planet Ark celebrates 15 years of recycling with Layne Beachley »
- How Cartridges 4 Planet Ark is part of the solution to plastic pollution »
- Find out how Cartridges 4 Planet Ark is part of the solution to plastic pollution »
- The 'queen of green steel' launches landmark e-waste microfactory »
- Compatible printer cartridges are not what you think they are »
- How online sharing groups are building communities »
- 8 ways to green your 2018 »
- Wynyard Station's old Wooden Escalators Repurposed Into a Public Artwork »
- Fight waste and get a bargain at the Big Aussie Swap »
- 5 ways to start your environmental sustainability journey today »
- Epson elevates commitment to cartridge recycling »
- HIH GreenSmart Awards celebrate Australia's most sustainable homes »
- Brush-tailed phascogale makes a surprise appearance on revegetated islands »
- Going plastic free: what does it take? »
- Australia is one step closer to being plastic bag free »
- Answering the Call to Connect With Nature »
- What's the Deal with Coffee Cup Recycling? »
- Planet Ark pays tribute to former Head of Campaigns, Brad Gray »
- Shell Recycling - Big Gains From Small Things »
- Scientist Discover Massive New Forests »
- Wriggly Solution To Plastic Pollution: The Caterpillar That Eats Plastic »
- Did Your Council or Workplace Make the Top Ten? »
- Thanks Australia! 13,500 Printer Cartridges Recycled Every Working Day »
- An Impressive 10 Million and Counting »
- Indigenous Communities Embrace Renewable Energy »
- 14 Items You Can Recycle - But Probably Aren't (Part Two) »
- Printer Cartridges are Driving Innovation »
- 14 Items You Can Recycle - But Probably Aren't (Part One) »
- Manchester's Tree Change: From an Industrial to a Green Revolution »
- Sticky Fruit Labels Get The Laser Treatment »
- Flings Save Tonnes of Paper »
- Australian Solar Technology Used to Help China Reach Clean Energy Target »
- Get Crafty this Christmas »
- How to Reduce Spending and Your Eco-Footprint This Christmas »
- Soft Plastic - Scrunch and Recycle »
- Cleaning Up Confusion for National Recycling Week »
- Planet Ark Launches 100% Recycled Office Paper »
- Zero Waste Audit Results for 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' Program Partner »
- Planet Ark Launches 100% Recycled Office Paper »
- Win a YEAR'S SUPPLY of Naturale Toilet Tissue »
- Giving Coffee Pods Another Life »
- Post Back Your Post Packs »
- Donating Your Old Smartphone Could Change Someone's Life »
- Provide Feedback and Win One of Five Battery Chargers »
- The Rise of the Coffee Pod Machine »
- Grow a Green Thumb »
- How to Recycle Whitegoods »
- Recycle Right and Have a Cuppa »
- You made June our Biggest Month Ever! »
- Toowoomba is Buzzing About Free Rechargeable Battery Recycling »
- Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities Workshops »
- A Quick Recycling Guide To 3 Tricky Items »
- Working It Out At Officeworks »
- Battery Stewardship Solutions for Australia »
- Selfie Challenge Winners »
- Printage Cartrij? Printer cartres? Printer Cartridges? »
- Learn From The New Wave In Innovation »
- Who Made the Top Ten Cartridge Recyclers »
- Cash For Containers In NSW - It Pays To Recycle »
- Reimagining Rubbish as a Resource »
- Selfie Challenge - #WhatsNotToLove »
- Fashionable Questions - Who Made Your Clothes and Where Do They End Up? »
- Four Eyes For Recycling »
- A Tablet for Your Thoughts »
- Have A Light Bulb Moment With Broken Bulbs »
- Power Tool Battery recycling creates buzz in Brisbane »
- Get Your 2016 Environment Action Planner »
- Look Who's Recycled 30 Million Cartridges »
- 'Tis the Season to De-Clutter »
- Drink Coffee? Take our Coffee Recycling Survey »
- Electrify Recycling »
- Recycle Right »
- Recycle your old mobiles & help the Salvos »
- Have an Appy Christmas »
- Re-Wrap It Up »
- Celebrate Recycling at Work »
- 'Appy' Christmas gift from Planet Ark »
- Save the date! 'Waste Not, Want Not' Day is coming »
- $50,000 Rebate Open for NSW Businesses to Increase Recycling »
- What's In a Label? »
- Is it Gold For Australia? »
- Make Recycling at Work, Work »
- Let the Flings Begin »
- Recycling Role Models »
- Inspiring Performers »
- Answers to the Big Recycling Questions »
- Test Your Recycling Knowledge! »
- Getting Your Recycling Sorted »
- Advanced Waste and Resource Recovery Facilities Training Workshop »
- Help Save Safe Toilet Paper! »
- Planet Ark's new packaging tool a finalist in Banksia Sustainability Awards »
- New Label Makes Recycling Easy »
- Garage Sale Trailing Right Around Australia »
- An Office Fling Is Good For Circulation »
- Awake to the Fun of Recycling »
- Planet Ark Project - Answering Kid's Questions »
- Declutter Your Office E-waste for FREE »
- Power Tool Battery Recycling Pilot Launches in Brisbane »
- Reduce Your Pet's Paw Print »
- Bagging Waste »
- Wise Words From An Eleven-Year-Old »
- E-Waste Busters »
- Identifying Asbestos »
- One House, Four Hours, Four Tonnes of Recycling »
- The art of upcycling »
- Happy Eco-Easter! »
- Creative Composting »
- Clean Clothes for Sensitive Souls »
- PREP For Better Recycling »
- Planet Ark Ambassadors Honoured »
- Turning Trash Into Treasure »
- Sourcing the right wood - Druce Davey »
- Recycling wooden pallets creates jobs »
