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RECYCLED GLASS HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
In 2024, Arizona put 100% recycled glass beneath a 23-mile interstate expansion; the unusual material helped protect 19 sets of existing highway culvertsWhen Arizona widened Interstate 17, engineers faced a problem that drivers would never notice. Beneath the planned expansion were 19 sets o...
In 2018, Tasmania built a road using 530,000 plastic bags, 168,000 glass bottles and 12,500 printer cartridges; engineers expected it to last 15% longerWhat if the road beneath your feet was made partly from the rubbish you threw away? In Tasmania, that idea became real in 2018. Engineers b...
Scientists in China have turned worn-out wind turbine blades into material for building roads: ‘The roads don’t show any cracks’Wind turbines can last for decades against the punishing winds, but what happens when they reach the end of their lives? A group of researc...
In 2018, Melbourne put 200,000 plastic bags, 63,000 glass bottles and 4,500 used printer cartridges into a road; 250 tonnes of recycled asphalt showed 60% better fatigue resistanceIn 2018, Melbourne tested a road with an unusual ingredient list: 200,000 plastic bags, 63,000 glass bottles and 4,500 used printer cartrid...
In 2025, Netherlands turned retired wind-turbine blades into a 60-metre highway noise barrier; tests found it performed like a conventional concrete wallNetherlands’ 60-metre Blade Barrier represents more than an unusual highway wall. It is an experiment in what a circular economy can look l...
In 2020, California repaved a highway using recycled materials, including 150,000 plastic bottles per mile; it could last 2-3 times longer than conventional asphaltCalifornia transportation officials tested recycled pavement using plastic bottle binder. This pilot project on Highway 162 consumed approx...
In 2020, Australia built more than 90% of a road project from recycled waste; five million bottles went into a job that cost no more than a standard buildIn 2020, Australia built more than 90% of a road project from recycled waste; five million bottles were used in a Central Coast Council pro...
In 2018, Victoria put the equivalent of 40 million discarded bottles into a freeway; 8,000 tonnes of crushed glass went into one widening projectScience news: 8,000 tonnes of recycled glass used in the 2018 Tullamarine Freeway widening project is a powerful example of how recycling c...
This 40-foot US highway structure was built using retired wind turbine blades. Now it survives over 100-mph windsRetired wind turbine blades are being creatively transformed into durable highway sign structures. This project showcases the potential of ...
Tennessee turned 100 tonnes of old wind turbine blades into material for new products for automobiles, boats and constructionBased in Tennessee, Carbon Rivers has crafted an innovative technique for recycling obsolete wind turbine blades. This novel approach utili...
In the year to September 2023, one Australian city used 6,790 litres of waste engine oil to build roads; it became a coating for stone used in road sealsIn the year leading up to September 2023, the City of Greater Geelong transformed thousands of litres of used motor oil into durable public...
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...
In 2024, Arizona engineers used 100% recycled glass to widen 23 miles of Interstate 17 at 19 sites, protecting concrete culverts built for a narrower highwayInstead of adding heavy soil and stone above aging concrete drainage structures, engineers used ultra-lightweight foam glass made from recy...
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 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 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, a Washington State lab study replaced 20% of cement with recycled glass powder; 56-day strength rose 19% with steel milling, while surface resistivity improved 150% with ceramic millingWashington State University engineers are testing recycled glass powder as a cement substitute. This waste material could potentially impro...
New York is building a $21.2 million bridge with recycled glass, 106 tons of waste will become part of the concreteA bridge project in New York is pioneering the use of recycled glass in its concrete mix. This groundbreaking technique not only keeps wast...
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...