Rubber roads pave the way for green infrastructure

A new rubberised asphalt made of recycled waste tyres is to be trialled in Coventry

A new trial in Coventry will see rubberised asphalt made of recycled waste tyres used to pave the roads.

Made by building materials company Tarmac, the road-surfacing material is made from end-of-life tyres (ELTs), which are granulated and included in an asphalt mix.

The firm claims it is the first company in the UK to develop such a technology – it suggests around 750 waste tyres will be recycled and reused for every kilometre of road.

It says this will help find a use for the 40 million waste tyres produced every year in the UK and help to reduce the 120,000 tonnes of rubber waste exported from the UK annually.

Tarmac already uses waste tyres to power its cement kilns and its commitment as a net user of waste.

Brian Kent, Technical Director at Tarmac, said: “While plastic recycling has attracted media headlines, used tyres remain a significant and overlooked waste stream and our new innovative rubber modified asphalts offer a more sustainable option for our industry and the environment.

“Rubber is used in asphalt across the USA but in the UK there is a lack of the necessary industrial infrastructure required to allow manufacture of this type of material. Against the backdrop of major investment in the strategic road network there is now an opportunity to leverage this technology and unlock the benefits of this circular economic approach.”

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