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FGD WASTE RECYCLING IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION
In 1972, FHWA used 5 inches of scrubber waste in a parking-area base at Washington's Dulles Airport. 2 years later, wet weather caused the experimental base to soften and be replacedEarly tests explored scrubber waste for road bases and subbases. Florida projects between 1977 and 1989 showed highly satisfactory performa...- In 1977, Pennsylvania tested an 800-foot road base made with power-plant scrubber sludge; its strength rose from 720 to 1,014 PSI over seven yearsA Pennsylvania road base demonstration in 1977 used FGD scrubber material successfully. This material, combined with lime and ash, endured ...
- In 2021, Victoria used 2,100 tons of recycled road base to rebuild the Hume Freeway. 5 years later, its 850-metre stretch had turned waste into a longer-lasting road tooPlastic bags and glass bottles usually end up in the trash. In Australia, some became part of a highway instead. Engineers rebuilt an 850-m...
- Nearly 300 tonnes of unwanted glass were headed for the landfill. Idaho used them to build a highway instead and solved a local landfill crisisEngineers have ingeniously repurposed discarded glass as a foundation material for highways, utilizing around 300 tonnes of crushed glass c...
- In 2021, Missouri added just 1% waste plastic to a two-mile road, that tiny share consumed 10 tons, equal to 750,000 soda bottlesIn 2021, Missouri transportation officials discussed a road project that tested recycled plastic in asphalt pavement. Engineers from the Un...
- Florida turned scrubber waste into road base in 12 projects by 1989; 100,000 tons earned highly satisfactory ratings, transforming an industrial byproduct into useful road baseFlorida utilized processed FGD scrubber material in twelve road-base projects between 1977 and 1989. This material demonstrated satisfactor...
- In 2021, Shanghai used 6,000 milk bottles to fight plastic waste; the result became China's 1st plastic road, turning hard-to-recycle bottles into useful paving materialShanghai’s “Milk Bottle Road” demonstrates how difficult-to-recycle plastic can be redirected toward useful infrastructure. Developed throu...
- In 2023, Australia's Sydney put 120,000 glass jars and 200 tonnes of old asphalt on Clarence Street. 1 year later, its program recycled 670,000 glass jars into asphalt across the citySydney is using recycled materials in road renewal, giving glass jars and reclaimed asphalt a new purpose instead of sending them to landfi...
- In 2024, Wales used 80,000 discarded diapers to build a road instead of sending 4 tons of waste to landfillCarmarthenshire County Council has collaborated with Nappicycle to conduct a groundbreaking road trial. Thousands of used diapers were skil...
- In 2025, Nebraska put two million plastic bags into a 4,000-foot road; it became the state’s first recycled-plastic roadNebraska put the equivalent of two million plastic bags into a 4,000-foot road in 2025, creating the state’s first recycled-plastic road. T...
- In 1990, New York City began recycling waste glass into street pavement. 5 years later, the city had reused 250,000 tons of glass in resurfacing projects across the cityNew York City pioneered waste glass use in road construction between 1990 and 1995. Research examined crushed glass as an asphalt aggregate...
- In 2019, Victoria's Wyndham City turned 199,000 recycled bottles into a 200-metre footpath. 1 year later, the project had reached 339 metres and delivered 1,700kg in carbon savingsVictoria’s Wyndham City turned 199,000 recycled bottles into a 200-metre footpath in 2019. The project showed how plastic waste could be gi...
- In 2022, Ontario's Durham Region used 400 tonnes of glass in a 3.6-km road pilot. 4 years later, it could reuse 240 tonnes of PET each year across Durham roads under its planDurham Region is testing recycled materials for road construction. Recycled glass and plastic will be used in a road rebuilding project. Th...
- In 2019, Australia's Central Coast Council used 631,000 plastic bags, 117,000 bottles and 14,400 printer cartridges on a 600-metre road. 7 years later, the project remains a striking waste-to-road example across the regionCentral Coast Council is now using recycled soft plastic and glass in road surfacing. This innovative product, Reconophalt, diverts thousan...
- A 1998 Texas experiment mixed printer toner into asphalt, and tests found it could make the mix strongerA recent study reveals that adding waste toner to asphalt binder can significantly improve its performance. With just a ten percent additio...
- In 2024, Michigan Tech mixed 6% treated waste glass into asphalt; dynamic stability rose 42.3%, and anti-skid performance improved 38.6% over standard mixesResearchers at Michigan Technological University have discovered an innovative way to utilize waste glass in paving roads. Their findings r...
- In 1980, New Jersey reused 14,000 tons of milled U.S. 1 asphalt for U.S. 130 shoulders, saving $50,346 and 12,753 tons of virgin stoneNew Jersey's engineering team successfully transformed milled road surfaces into functional highway shoulders, achieving significant saving...
- In 1997, Abilene collected 240 tons of waste glass for Antilley Road; Dyess Air Force Base crushed the glass at $9 a ton for two 750-foot test sectionsIn Abilene, Texas, an innovative project has integrated crushed glass from recycled bottles and jars into road construction. By blending gl...
- In 2022, Hawaii used 195,000 plastic bottles to rebuild a road. Engineers found an alternative use for recycling plastic waste, but there's a catchHawaii's officials have embarked on an innovative experiment to blend recycled plastic into road asphalt, effectively repurposing nearly 20...
- 32,600 used tires did not go to a landfill. Instead, Michigan turned them into a 1.15-mile road in Clare County that can also reduce traffic noise. The next target is Detroit roadsMichigan is turning discarded tires into road-building material, with 32,600 passenger tire equivalents reused on a 1.15-mile stretch of Ha...
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