Penrith City Council has announced a commitment to use recycled glass in all future road works.
Following a successful trial in Penrith’s Stafford Street, where end-of-life glass collected from a local supplier was crushed and used in the road’s asphalt mix, Council says it will continue to use recycled glass for future road resurfacing works.
Council’s review of the trial revealed incorporating glass in the bitumen delivered a win for the circular economy and a more durable road surface.
Penrith Mayor, Tricia Hitchen says the move will not only streamline road works in the local government area but will also lay the foundations for a more sustainable circular economy for the city.
“Council is always looking for opportunities to improve our services and following the recent flood events which wreaked havoc on Penrith’s roads, we have been eager to implement preventative measures and long-term solutions,” Mayor Hitchen said.
“Through our commitment to the circular economy by using recycled glass in future road works, we are providing more robust roads for the safety of our residents and visitors, while contributing to the circular economy at a local level,” she said.
This month alone, Council is using recycled glass in projects at three sites – Copeland Street in Kingswood, Jamison Road in South Penrith, and Ninth Avenue, Llandilo.
Mayor Hitchen said Council will source and repurpose just over 257 tonnes of recycled glass for the projects which form part of its scheduled road reconstruction works.
“I am proud to share that these three projects will save more than 1 million recycled glass bottles from landfill and be put to good use, improving the longevity of our roads and reducing maintenance costs in the years to come.”
“Penrith is encouraging other councils to consider this innovative plan that will futureproof our roads and is a win for the environment,” she said.
During 2020/2021, Council collected 14,965 tonnes of recyclable material from the yellow-lidded recycling bin which was diverted from landfill. Of this, glass currently makes up 30%.
