Recycled glass roads Australia : In 2023, a road resurfacing project in Traralgon, Victoria, gave recycled glass a new role in local infrastructure. Latrobe City Council used more than 76,000 glass bottles and jars collected through local kerbside recycling services in an asphalt mix for a major road resurfacing trial.
The project used 25 tonnes of recycled glass in the wearing course of the asphalt. The recycled glass directly replaced virgin sand in the mix.
Latrobe City’s first large-scale recycled glass road trial
The project was Latrobe City Council’s first large-scale trial using recycled glass products in asphalt as part of its road resurfacing program.
The trial took place at the intersection of Seymour Street and Franklin Street in Traralgon, a location selected because of its high traffic volumes. The asphalt product used recycled glass along with reclaimed asphalt pavement, or RAP.
The wearing course contained 12.5% recycled glass, while the pavement course contained 10% RAP. In total, 25 tonnes of recycled glass were used in the wearing course, along with 47 tonnes of RAP in the pavement.
Recycled glass replaced virgin sand in the asphalt
Latrobe City’s road resurfacing program had historically used virgin materials such as sand and aggregate, including crushed rock and stone.
For the trial, glass collected through local kerbside recycling was processed and incorporated into the asphalt. The recycled glass directly replaced virgin sand in the mix.
Sustainability Victoria supported the project through the Sustainable Infrastructure Fund on behalf of the Victorian Government. The funding helped the recycled materials undergo laboratory testing as an asphalt mix before the material was used on the road.
