State Asphalts NSW has begun constructing Australia’s first road made out of recycled coffee cups in suburban Penrith.
In a statement released today, State Asphalts said the fibres in the cups serve as a valuable additive that helps create a superior, more durable product, resulting in a quieter and safer asphalt.
The more sustainable asphalt, dubbed PAK-PAVE Roads, was developed in collaboration with Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, which conducted the Simply Cups paper cup recycling program.
The pilot construction for PAK-PAVE Roads will be located along a section of Jamison Road at South Penrith and will be followed by a second at Swallow Drive, Erskine Park.
The projects will use over 135,000 recycled paper cups, 85 per cent of which are comprised of coffee cups collected in the Penrith LGA in 2022.
PAK-PAVE Roads’ sustainability benefits include improved pavement durability and crack resistance, enhanced wet weather skid resistance and reduced noise levels from surface texture.
The project also requires fewer raw materials and yields 24 per cent less carbon footprint.
Development of PAK-PAVE Roads was facilitated through the Commonwealth Cooperative Research Centres Program Grant and involves the University of New South Wales and sanctioned by the NSW EPA and Transport NSW.
“We have enjoyed great support from government at all levels to get to this point and congratulate Penrith Council for being the first to use PAK- PAVETM Roads,” said John Kypreos, director of State Asphalts NSW.
Rob Pascoe, managing director of Closed Loop, said the Simply Cups program has saved more than 30 million paper cups from landfill since 2017.
“We have explored dozens of practical applications for the cups which contain very high-quality fibre but are challenging to recycle because of their waterproof lining,” Pascoe said.
“While we have multiple avenues for the recycled cups, including lightweight concrete products and construction boards, PAK-PAVE Roads is a fantastic solution because it uses such large quantities,” he added.
More than 630 7Eleven stores have installed cup collection units for the project. Closed Loop also has locations in numerous shopping centres, office buildings, schools, and universities.
Locations can be found on the Simply Cups website or on the free RecycleMate app.
