Recycled glass road project a success

Council supplied 320 tonnes of crushed glass from its Materials Recovery Facility which was mixed with gravel to regrade and top up the 1.3km of road from the Peak Downs Highway to the Hogan’s Pocket Landfill site.

Mayor Greg Williamson said the project was completed six months ago and had been a huge success.

“This was a trial project to test if using the glass was a viable option in the construction of gravel road pavement on unsealed roads,” he said.

“Our Materials Recovery Facility produces almost 3000 tonnes of crushed glass every year. Using it in road pavements not only offers an environmental benefit by reusing existing waste, but also a cost saving benefit as we don’t have to purchase other products to use in the gravel.”

Mayor Williamson said a report on the durability of the road after six months had shown that there were very few visible defects on the surface.

“Despite several high rainfall periods and regular use by heavy vehicles accessing Hogan’s Pocket Landfill, the road has shown no signs of corrugation,” he said.

“This has shown that recycling is not rubbish.”

By using recycled glass from our own facility, council was able to save about four per cent of the total project cost, about $8000, and was able to produce a high-quality asset.

“Crushed glass has great financial benefits for future road projects,” Mr Williamson said.