National construction materials manufacturer, Boral Australia today announced it is appropriately marking the 50th anniversary of World Earth Day by reinforcing its commitment to the circular economy with the country-wide launch of INNOVOTM in South Australia.
Latin for “renew”, INNOVOTM is a sustainable asphalt system designed to enable customers to customise a unique asphalt mix containing all, one or a number of salvaged materials such as recycled plastic, recycled glass and end of use tyres that would otherwise become landfill.
Boral is today working alongside the City of Mitcham in Adelaide to resurface Carlisle Road in the inner southern suburb of Westbourne Park using INNOVOTM.
Boral is combining 150 tonnes of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled plastic in the asphalt mix being used to give new life to Carlisle Road. The amount of plastic being used is the equivalent of about 450,000 plastic 600ml water bottles which if laid end-to-end would stretch 60 kilometres.
The City of Mitcham’s sustainability credentials for this project were further enhanced through the use of recycled aggregate in the Boral concrete used for the construction of the kerb replacement.
INNOVOTM actively reduces the dependency on natural raw resources typically used in asphalt production by allowing customers to nominate the specific recyclable materials (based on local availability) that will pave its roads. It empowers their participation in the circular economy and aligns with World Earth Day 2020’s theme, “Climate Action”.
The range of recycled materials that can be substituted for natural raw materials include:
- Recycled plastics: hard and soft plastics can be used as a sustainable replacement fine aggregates in asphalt.
- Tyres: end-of-life passenger tyres are processed into ‘crumb rubber’ that is used as a sustainable replacement in bitumen.
- Recycled crushed glass: replaces the need for natural sand used to produce asphalt without compromising on asphalt physical properties.
- Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP): reclaimed roads and highways reduce the demand for bitumen and raw aggregate used in the production of asphalt.
- Steel slag: the by-product of iron ore processing is used as a natural aggregate replacement.
- Printer toner: Toner from printer cartridges can be added during production to enhance the physical performance characteristics of asphalt.
Using the INNOVOTM system, recyclable materials have already been incorporated into paths and roads in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia which, in total, amount to:
- 1.14 million 600ml plastic bottles
- 397,000 330ml glass bottles
- 600 end-of-life tyres
“INNOVOTM demonstrates Boral’s commitment to tangibly and increasingly contribute to the sustainability of the Australian construction sector by respecting the environment and enhancing communities while meeting the high expectations of our diverse customer base,” says Wayne Manners, Boral Australia President and Chief Executive Officer.
“The variable product range and the flexibility of the INNOVOTM system provides Boral and our customers with an excellent opportunity to lead by example. We aim to make a real difference by promoting sustainable practices and seek to be part of the practical solution to reducing landfill.”
City of Mitcham Mayor Dr Heather Holmes-Ross says the use of the plastic bottles in an asphalt mix road was a first for South Australia.
“We have used recycled rubber in roads recently, with great success, but these trials incorporate new materials,” Dr Holmes-Ross said. “The current projects are part of a new initiative that was based around an open ‘expression of interest’ we put out to the state to attract new innovations of incorporating recyclables into asphalt and encouraging private industry to push the boundaries of what is achievable.”
As well as pushing the boundaries on how far councils can go in creating a circular economy by using waste to increase the life and performance of our roads, recycled roads promote the value of yellow bin recycling to the community.
“To date, Australia leads the world in using recycling in roads. The results demonstrate that significant increases in performance can be achieved, creating roads less prone to failure that last longer, which means savings to councils in the long term.”
For more information about the INNOVOTM system, please visit www.boral.com.au/innovo
For MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY, please contact:
Anna Whybird
Stakeholder Relations Manager – Southern Region
BORAL AUSTRALIA
Telephone: 0411 311 256
Email: anna.whybird@boral.com.au
For SALES ENQUIRIES, please contact:
Eric Rossi
Business Development Manager – Asphalt
BORAL AUSTRALIA - SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Telephone: 0401 894 678
Email: eric.rossi@boral.com.au