A railway at a UK nuclear waste site has gained an unusual new feature: sleepers made largely from recycled plastic. In 2025, the Low Level Waste Repository began installing composite sleepers as part of routine maintenance on its rail sidings, replacing traditional hardwood with a material designed to last for decades. According to Nuclear Waste Services, each sleeper contains approximately 90kg of recycled plastic waste, while the organisation says the products can remain in service for between 50 and 100 years. Made in the UK and fully recyclable, the sleepers mark a small but notable change in how the Repository is maintaining its railway infrastructure.
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