Downer has implemented the Plastic Police® program at its new asphalt production facility in Teralba, in what is being called a truly circular economy collaboration.
Staff at the asphalt facility collect soft plastics at work and from home for recycling through the Plastic Police® program, with soft plastic collection bins now on site.
The soft plastics will be processed off-site into TonerPlas™, an asphalt additive made from recycled soft plastics and waste toner, before returning to the asphalt facility.
Downer mixes TonerPlas™ into its asphalt mix to produce Reconophalt, an innovative asphalt product that contains high recycled content from materials such as soft plastics, glass, toner and reclaimed road.
Reconophalt is a high-quality, longer-lasting and better-performing asphalt road. One kilometre of asphalt road (2 lanes) contains the equivalent of:
– 530,000 plastic shopping bags
– 168,000 glass bottles
– Waste toner from 12,500 printer cartridges
The asphalt product will be used in local road construction projects by councils in the Hunter and Central Coast regions. For more information on soft plastic in roads, visit the TonerPlas website.
Central Coast Council was the first to pour Reconophalt, at Boomerang Road Long Jetty. Read more here.
Reconophalt asphalt containing recycled soft plastics, toner, glass and pavement in Long Jetty, Central Coast.
