Old tyres and discarded glass bottles will soon be repurposed to form part of the roads in Meander Valley. Prospect Vale roads will be the first in Tasmania to incorporate the recycled products in a landmark trial that upgrades and strengthens road infrastructure and plans ahead for a greener future. Glass, which is made up of sand, and tyres, which are often partly made from petroleum-derived hydrocarbons, are perfect substitutes for what would otherwise be used in road resurfacing. In other news: Meander Valley Mayor Wayne Johnston said, "road surfacing treatments are typically comprised of quarried rock and petroleum based products". Mr Johnston said road resurfacing was a helpful way to incorporate rubbish that would otherwise end up at the rubbish tip. "Old tyres are certainly something we have a lot of ... This project will divert 393 tyres from landfill and will reuse almost 91,000 glass bottles, which is a significant saving," he said. Mr Johnston said there would be 500 tonnes of the recycled product going down across the municipality in what is a state first. He said other countries, and mainland states, had already employed the practice to great effect and it was the right time for Tasmania to try it for itself. The project is subsidised by Tyre Stewardship Australia and will come at no extra cost to the people of Meander Valley. Mr Johnston said other municipalities would also incorporate the recycled resurfacing trial in their regions. JOIN US IN FIGHTING BACK What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
