Recycled asphalt is set to be used in the Northern Territory for the first time, following the awarding of a $1.6M contract to upgrade seven major roads in Darwin.
The recycled asphalt contains soft plastics, waste toner from used printer cartridges and oils and will be used to surface two roads - East Point Road in Fannie Bay and Marina Boulevard in Cullen Bay.
The recycled material used in the road projects is expected to save 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is the main culprit of climate change.
City of Darwin CEO Scott Waters said he was delighted the contract had been awarded to an organisation that valued recycling.
"This represents an exciting direction for City of Darwin as we foster a more sustainable Darwin by diverting materials away from our landfill, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions from our waste system."
"City of Darwin is taking a leadership role in this area by integrating sustainable principles into the awarding of City of Darwin contracts."
Greg Farmilo, NT Surfacing Manager, Downer Group, said the company was proud to be partnering with City of Darwin on this first-ever project of its type in the Northern Territory.
"Downer has been successfully using sustainable recycled asphalt in major roadway projects across Australia for many years."
"This is a tried and tested product that has demonstrated its value as a replacement for traditional road surfaces and the benefits of its use as a mechanism to divert waste from landfill are enormous."
"City of Darwin will continue to demonstrate strong leadership by identifying opportunities that reduce our contribution to climate change across all Council's infrastructure and service areas" concluded Mr Waters.
The awarding of this contract is complemented by a suite of recent waste management initiatives by City of Darwin, including a contract that will divert 200 tonnes of metal waste (ferrous material) from landfill and a 3-year contract for Helping People Achieve (HPA) to continue to operate the Trash and Treasure Shop to ensure reusable goods find a new home and don't end up in landfill.
Other roads included in the contract include: Bradshaw Terrace, Coonawarra Road, Cavenagh Street and Progress Drive.
