A new initiative in New South Wales has resulted in the first road in Australia to be made using recycled coffee cups in its construction. The new, more sustainable, asphalt is called PAK-PAVE^TM Roads and was developed by State Asphalts NSW together with Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, who operate the Simply Cups paper cup recycling program.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team at State Asphalts NSW and our collaborating partners, who have worked tirelessly over the past three years to develop PAK-PAVE^TM Roads,” said John Kypreos, director of State Asphalts NSW.

The pilot test of PAK-PAVE^TM Roads will take place along part of Jamison Road in South Penrith and will be followed by a second test at Swallow Drive in Erskine Path. Together, these two road projects will use over 135,000 recycled paper cups, which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

“The Simply Cups program has saved more than 30 million paper cups such as coffee cups and take-away soft drink cups from landfill since beginning in 2017, “said Closed Loop MD Rob Pascoe.

“We have explored dozens of practical applications for the cups which contain very high-quality fibre but are challenging to recycle because of their waterproof lining.

“While we have multiple avenues for the recycled cups, including light-weight concrete products and construction boards, PAK-PAVE^TM Roads is a fantastic solution, because it uses such large quantities,” Rob continued.

There are Simply Cups collection points around the country, which accept coffee cups, soft drink takeaway cups, and ice-cream and gelato cups, along with compostable cups.

Image: PAK-PAVE^TM Roads installation in Penrith City Council