Recycled coffee cups in Penrith roads an Australian first

A road at Penrith in western Sydney has become the first in Australia to include recycled coffee cups, the result of a project between State Asphalt Services and Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, the operator of the Simply Cups recycling program.

The PAK-PAVE Roads product was developed through a Cooperative Research Centres Program, and also involved the University of NSW. The road surfacing has been sanctioned by the NSW EPA and Transport NSW.

The pilot project is going ahead on a section of Jamison Road at South Penrith, followed soon by a second road coated at Swallow Drive in Erskine Park. Combined, these will make use of more than 135,000 recycled paper cups,

John Kypreos, Director of State Asphalts NSW, said the team at his company and their collaborating partners, “have worked tirelessly” to develop the product over the last two years.

“We have enjoyed great support from government at all levels to get to this point and congratulate Penrith Council for being the first.”

According to the release, the cups used represent 85 per cent of the paper cups collected for recycling in the local government area last year.

Closed Loop said the paper cups were a beneficial additive, and the roads had improved pavement durability and crack resistance, as well as wet weather skid resistance, a 24 per cent lower carbon footprint, and reduced noise levels.

“With over 1,208 km of roads maintained by Penrith City Council, and countless kilometres of state roads in our LGA, we have the opportunity to make our roads far more environmentally friendly than first thought through the use of recycled materials,” said Penrith mayor, Tricia Hitchen.

Picture: Installation in Penrith City Council (credit closedloop.com.au)