Enfield is leading the way in the war on plastics having trialled a revolutionary product made with waste materials to resurface the borough's roads.
- Section of Green Dragon Lane resurfaced using waste plastic
- Innovative product hoped to be used in other Enfield road resurfacing projects
- Many household plastics can be recycled in residents’ blue-lidded bins
Enfield is leading the way in the war on plastics having trialled a revolutionary product made with waste materials to resurface the borough's roads.
Enfield is the first London council to use a trail-blazing asphalt/waste plastics mix developed by Lockerbie-based firm MacRebur.
The successful resurfacing of a section of Green Dragon Lane has led Enfield Council to secure additional funding from Transport for London for further trials in the borough, using the same product to improve a number of bus stops.
Enfield Council hopes to use the new mix, which is tougher and more durable than standard tarmac to resurface roads across the borough.
Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Daniel Anderson, said: “We all know that plastics can have a devastating impact on the environment, particularly when the product reaches our seas and oceans. We all have a responsibility to step up our efforts to help the environment by recycling more, upcycling and responsibly sourcing materials.
“Enfield Council is delighted with this road trial and hope we can use more of the product across the borough to help divert plastics from landfill and reduce the carbon footprint for road construction.”
The trial site was chosen as it is a relatively busy road, serving as a route for three buses and other vehicle traffic. The product is a Bitumen substitute made from waste plastics. Monitoring of the road has shown the asphalt mix is performing well and is proving to be a long-term, durable solution to road resurfacing.
The production and disposal of plastics has mushroomed over the last 50 years. Ocean Watch estimates there are 140 million of tonnes of plastic in the world’s seas and oceans. In 2014, less than a third of Europe’s plastic waste was recycled, while another third ended up in landfill. From the rest, only the energy was recovered. Plastic can take up to 400 years to degrade on land.*
Enfield Council is always seeking ways to innovate while protecting the environment, its neighbourhoods and build strong communities. Residents can play their part in the war on plastics too. Items such as plastic bottles, tubs, pots and trays (eg margarine tubs, yoghurt pots and fruit trays) can go into the blue-lidded recycling bin. See more on what can be recycled.
- *Source, PlasticsEurope