Sydney City Council is hoping to cut carbon emissions by using recycled materials in the asphalt mix it uses for road resurfacing.
Business Insider reported on the initiative, which is part of an ambitious experiment in recycling. The city has already tested painting roads white, in an attempt to reduce temperatures in the metropolis.
The product has been named TonerPave and was created by the city’s road contractor, Downer EDI, in collaboration with cartridge recycling company, Close the Loop.
The mix is warmed to a temperature 20 to 50 percent lower than normal asphalt, reducing carbon emissions by up to 40 percent. Sydney uses 6,000 tonnes of asphalt annually, and roughly 20,000 tonnes of cartridge waste has been recycled into asphalt in Australia since the scheme was started in 2012.
Sergio Cinerari, CEO of Downer’s infrastructure services, said that toner powder contains particles similar to asphalt, which can be reduced to bitumen, a crude oil derivative required in the mix.
“We work closely with Close the Loop who collect and recycle huge quantities of toner cartridges for large printer and copier companies,” he said. “The cartridges are then shredded for recycling and the toner powder comes to us to be made into TonerPave at our Rosehill plant.”