A UK nuclear waste site has installed composite railway sleepers made from approximately 90 kilograms of recycled plastic waste each. According to Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), the sleepers have a lifespan of between 50 and 100 years, are made in the UK and are fully recyclable.
The sleepers were installed at the Low Level Waste Repository as part of planned routine maintenance and replacement work on the site's rail sidings. The Repository Engineering team saw the work as an opportunity to improve sustainability by considering an alternative to traditional hardwood sleepers.