Recycled tyres driving innovation in asphalt production
CRH is committed to maximising the contribution its materials, products and solutions make to a more sustainable built environment. As part of this the Group places a strong focus on identifying innovative new ways to improve the sustainability performance of existing products.
Recently, Tarmac, a CRH Company, became the first in the UK to secure recognised industry approval for an innovative new rubber-modified asphalt. The paving product contains granulated rubber from the UK’s waste tyre stream.
Using recycled tyres as a raw material means Tarmac will now be able to recycle 750 tyres for every kilometre of road surfaced with the material. This will prevent thousands of tonnes of used tyres being directed to waste disposal. The UK currently exports 150,000 tonnes of used tyres annually.
The new asphalt product recently became the first thin surfacing system of its kind to receive British Board of Agrément (BBA) HAPAS Clause 942 approval. HAPAS – the Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme – tests and approves products and systems for use across the UK’s highway network.
In the US, CRH is already pioneering the use of recycled materials in asphalt. As a 100% recyclable product it helps to make CRH a significant contributor to the circular economy.