Greener roads pave the way in Maribyrnong
Published on 11 February 2020
As part of a new trial, Harriet Street in Seddon has been resurfaced using a more sustainable and durable asphalt known as PolyPave, which incorporates recycled materials.
Made up of glass and plastic bottles, PolyPave also uses a warm mix asphalt with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). RAP is made from old road pavement that has been broken down and recycled into new asphalt mix. The warm mix application requires less heating than the traditional hot mix application, resulting in a lower carbon footprint. It also makes the roads more hard wearing and is less sensitive to increased pavement temperature.
It is estimated that by using RAP in Harriet Street, it reduced landfill by 41 tonnes and saved 270 kilograms in carbon emissions. About 3,100 two-litre plastic bottles and 23,400 glass bottles were repurposed for this stretch of road – the equivalent of 638 recycling bins of glass and plastic.
Harriet Street is the first street in Maribyrnong that will trial the recycled asphalt. This puts into practice Council’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment and working within a circular economy – reducing carbon emissions, using recycled materials and using a sustainable, locally developed product.
Council stepped up its position on climate change in February 2019, acknowledging that we are in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action by all levels of government.
Our first Climate Emergency Community Advisory Group has now been selected, following a nomination process last year. This group will work on developing Council’s Climate Emergency Plan, which is expected to further Council’s work on climate change and carbon emissions with increased urgency.
Message from the Mayor, Cr Sarah Carter
This trial is another great example of how Maribyrnong is continuously looking for solutions to carry out our work in ways that protect our environment and have innovative and sustainable outcomes.
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