Waverley Council celebrates its first ‘recycled roads’

18 December 2019

Waverley Council has just completed its first roads made from recycled soft plastics, glass bottles and printer toner.

Council has re-sheeted sections of Blair Street, North Bondi and Henrietta and St Thomas Streets, Bronte with Reconophalt, an innovative asphalt product composed of materials that would otherwise likely end up in landfill, stockpiled, or as a pollutant in the local environment.

Each tonne of Reconophalt contains around 800 soft plastic bag and packaging equivalents, 252 glass bottle equivalents, toner from 18 used printer cartridges and 300 kilograms of reclaimed asphalt pavement.

Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said the Reconophalt project is just one of the ways the Council is committed to protecting our environment for future generations.

On Tuesday, Council declared a State of Climate and Biodiversity Emergency that requests all levels of government to act now to protect our environment and community for future generations.

“Anything we can do to reduce our footprint on the planet, such as using rubbish to make roads, is a step in the right direction,” Mayor Masselos said.

“We’re proud to be the first Council in this part of the eastern suburbs to use this product for our re-sheeting projects.”

(Above and below) Resheeting works in Blair St

On Tuesday, Council declared a State of Climate and Biodiversity Emergency that requests all levels of government to act now to protect our environment and community for future generations.

The unanimous motion of Council states that with urgent collaborative action it is still possible to help prevent the most serious environmental, social and economic impacts.

“The motion urges all other levels of government and Local Government NSW to declare a State of Climate and Biodiversity Emergency to show solidarity with over 900 governments worldwide,” Mayor Masselos said.

“Sydney’s air quality is the worst on record as a result of the devastating and frightening bush fires which continue to burn across the state.

“Climate change has made conditions considerably worse by adding to the dry fuel load in our reserves, parks and bushland, and higher temperatures are accelerating transpiration and evaporation.

“We need to do what we can to help protect our planet for our future generations.”

Waverley Council is one of a handful of Councils in NSW using Reconophalt through a partnership with Downer. Council is considering use of the product for future re-sheeting projects.

Media inquiries: media@waverley.nsw.gov.au or 0416 075 532.