Two major Darwin roads will be paved with recycled asphalt in a first-ever initiative for the Territory.
A $1.6 million contract to upgrade seven roads was awarded by the City of Darwin to upgrade a selection of its roads with sustainable material.
Two out of the seven roads – East Point Road in Fannie Bay and Marina Boulevard in Cullen Bay – will have their roads surfaced with recycled asphalt.
The environmentally friendly material is made from soft plastics and waste toner from used printer cartridges and oils.
Downer Group will pave the roads with its recycled asphalt, with Downer Group NT surfacing manager Greg Farmilo saying he was proud of the partnership with the City of Darwin.
“Downer has been successfully using sustainable recycled asphalt in major roadway projects across Australia for many years,” he said.
“This is a tried and tested product that has demonstrated its value as a replacement for traditional road surfaces and the benefits of its use as a mechanism to divert waste from landfill are enormous.”
The recycled material will save an estimated 12 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
“This represents an exciting direction for City of Darwin as we foster a more sustainable Darwin by diverting materials away from our landfill, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions from our waste system,” City of Darwin chief executive officer Scott Waters said. “City of Darwin is taking a leadership role in this area by integrating sustainable principles into the awarding of City of Darwin contracts.”