Sydney street refreshed with recycled materials

In Sydney, around 120,000 glass jars and more than 200 tonnes of reclaimed asphalt were used to refresh a one-kilometre stretch of Clarence Street. Since July 2021, the City of Sydney has used around 1.5 million recycled glass jars and more than 6000 tonnes of reclaimed asphalt in its road renewal program.

Clover Moore AO, Lord Mayor of Sydney, said, “What was once considered waste is now being seen as a resource. This shift away from linear thinking is vitally important to tackling climate change and improving circular economy outcomes.

“Some glass bottles and jars can’t be recycled to become another glass container. Despite the best efforts of people putting them in the yellow-lid bin, they end up in landfill.”

The product used on Clarence Street is densely graded asphalt which meets standards set by Transport for NSW for heavy-duty traffic operations. 20% of the asphalt is reclaimed from roads that have reached end of life. This quantity of recycled goods has not impacted on the quality of the surface.

The City of Sydney resurfaces around 35,000 m² of road annually. By favouring more sustainable materials, long-term benefits can be ensured. Other materials such as crumbed rubber, printer toner and soft plastics have also been used in asphalt mixes in road resurfacing.

The City of Sydney is one of 16 Sydney councils to sign up to ‘Paving the Way,’ a joint initiative led by the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils aiming to use 100 million glass containers a year in the renewal of local roads.