The pavement is made from 100% recycled materials. The use of recycled plastic has been increasingly tested in sustainable construction. One of the more recent examples came from a trio of UK entrepreneurs. This is the development of an excellent quality asphalt produced in a much cheaper way since it uses plastic waste.
Dubbed MR6, green asphalt has less bitumen than traditional paving. The developer company, MacRebur, says the result is a more accessible product to be applied compared to others. It also ensures that the asphalt is 60% more resistant, having better results in several aspects – which increases the useful life of the road.
It is an economical and durable asphalt. It is made from 100% recycled materials, the process is beneficial for several reasons, among them helps to reduce: the use of fossil fuels, the carbon footprint and the amount of garbage that would go to the landfill. Besides, it has no infrastructure costs more significant than conventional asphalt and still requires less maintenance investment.Inspiration in India
The idea for the technology came from the engineer Toby McCartney, while working in South India with a charity that helped workers in a landfill. When he returned to the UK, he joined two friends to create a mixture of waste plastics that can be added to the base material of the asphalt production and thus the MR6.
“After 18 months of testing, we had our product within British and European standards, and is a high-performance additive that improves the roads we drive today,” the company explains.
The product has attracted attention from major investors, including billionaire Richard Branson who awarded MacRebur with the first place in a startups competition promoted by his company.
In the USA, asphalt pavements are the most recycled product. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 80 million tons of asphalt pavement is reclaimed every year, and nearly 100 percent of their total is recycled.
Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is often as higher, in quality as pavements crafted from all-virgin materials. And, the material that is often recycled again and again; it never loses its value. The asphalt cement — the glue that props up pavement together — retains its ability so that it is reused for the original purpose. The aggregates (rocks, sand, and gravel) in the original pavement can also be conserved. Many roadways that are definitely more than 20 years of age have been worth more excellent than these were when originally constructed.
It is estimated that the recycling of asphalt pavements saves the American taxpayer greater than $2.5 billion per year.
The materials that are routinely recycled into asphalt pavements are rubber from used tires, asphalt roofing shingles, and steel and blast furnace slags.
Pickett’s Paving is a paving company located in Wisconsin, leader in the paving industry, we are always updating with the latest in the market. If you are in need of ADA signage, striping, sealing or Asphalt patching, don’t hesitate to call us. We offer the highest quality in hot mix asphalt. Our experts are update on the new technologies for paving construction.