Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, together with State Asphalts NSW, is to develop the country’s first road using recycled coffee cups.
The sustainable asphalt, dubbed Pak-Pave, is made with fibres from coffee cups and is said to create a superior, durable product, that is quieter and safer than regular asphalt.
The pilot project for the sustainable road construction will commence along a section of Jamison Road at South Penrith, to be followed soon after at Swallow Drive, Erskine Park.
The two projects will use over 135,000 recycled paper cups from the Simply Cups program run by Closed Loop.
Consumers can drop off their used cups at one of 630 7-Eleven stores nationwide. They can find the collection sites via the Simply Cups website or the Recycle Mate app.
Aside from the recycled paper cups, the two Pak-Pave roads will use other recycled materials, including 1.2 million glass stubbies, reclaimed asphalt pavement, and steel furnace flags.
The partnering companies say the benefits of using Pak-Pave roads include improved durability and crack resistance, wet weather skid resistance, and reduced noise from the surface texture. Fewer raw materials are required and the seal offers a 24 per cent reduction in carbon footprint over traditional tar seal.
Rob Pasco, Closed Loop MD, said the Simply Cups program had saved an estimated 30 million paper cups from landfill since 2017.
“We have explored dozens of practical applications for the cups, which contain very high-quality fibre but are challenging to recycle because of their waterproof lining,” he explained.
Pasco added that the organisation has multiple uses for recycled cups, including lightweight concrete products and construction materials. Pak-Pave roads are fantastic since they use large quantities of cups.
Penrith Mayor Tricia Hitchen said the council is proud to lead the way in a move that leads to a more sustainable circular economy.
“With over 1208km of roads maintained by Penrith City Council, and countless kilometres of state roads in our LGA, we have the opportunity to make our roads far more environmentally friendly than first thought through the use of recycled materials,” concluded Hitchen.
The development of Pak-Pave Roads was facilitated through the Commonwealth’s Cooperative Research Centres Program Grant, involving the University of NSW and has been sanctioned by the NSW EPA and Transport NSW.
