The City of Adelaide has constructed the country's first road made from 100% recycled materials, using reclaimed asphalt pavement from local streets and recycled vegetable oil from local suppliers. 

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said this demonstration, undertaken in partnership with Downer, aligns perfectly with Council’s ambitions to become a leading smart, green, liveable and creative city.

“The project originates from a Motion on Notice brought to Council last year, which asked the administration to seek to maximise the amount of recycled material used within our roads,” Verschoor said. 

“This is a great example of Council using innovative, methods to improve the work we do throughout the city. At around the same cost as the standard process, the recycled road is cost-effective and, as we’re recycling our own materials, it has a great benefit to the environment.

“We will now closely monitor the road’s performance and durability. Based on the outcomes of this trial, I’m sure Councillors will be open to seeing more of this type of road constructed throughout the city and North Adelaide in the near future.”

Downer’s General Manager – Pavements, Stuart Billing, said the milestone event demonstrated the importance of partnerships with other thought leaders to set new benchmarks in recycling and repurposing local materials into new streams of use.

“Together with City of Adelaide, we have set a new benchmark in achieving sustainable solutions through thought leadership and a determination to make a positive difference,” Billing said. 

“Further to the direct sustainability benefits of using renewable materials, the 100% recycled road saves up to 65% CO2e emissions when mixed at a lower temperature (warm mix asphalt), compared to standard asphalt made with virgin materials.

“Just as importantly, our Australian-first 100 per cent recycled asphalt is about 25 per cent stronger than standard asphalt, which means it will be able to better resist deformation." 

Watch the video here.