Balfour Beatty, working in partnership with Thames Water, has saved over one million plastic bags from landfill by utilising a waste plastic asphalt on a key London cycle lane in Stratford, through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
For the first time on a UK cycle lane, traditional asphalt has been replaced with a greener alternative. The new material uses waste plastic which would otherwise have gone to landfill or incineration to replace part of the bitumen used in asphalt production.
Provided by MacRebur, a plastic asphalt developer, the new material is more flexible and adaptable under temperature changes which reduces the chances of cracking and potholes forming over time. To further enhance the sustainability of the new cycle lane, the material can also be recycled again at the end of its life, completing the recycling process.
John McKay, Balfour Beatty Senior Construction Manager for the works, said: “Throughout the project, sustainability played a vital role in the choices we made. Finding a material which not only saved plastic from landfill, but which could also be recycled again at the end of its life, is the ultimate sustainable solution.
“We are proud to have taken an innovative approach to sustainability and ultimately offer a more sustainable yet practical result to the community for their new cycle lane.”
The new cycle lane formed part of wider works to upgrade the Victorian sewer network running through the Waterworks Bridge in Stratford.
With a focus on sustainability and delivering innovative solution to clients, Balfour Beatty has helped Thames Water deliver a more sustainable project which will ultimately benefit the public. Balfour Beatty’s sustainability strategy, the Blueprint, sets out how Balfour Beatty delivers long-term economic, social and environmental outcomes for its employees, customers, society and shareholders. Balfour Beatty is committed to leaving a legacy in the communities in which it operates, working with local supply chain partners wherever possible, investing in local community initiatives and building the workforce of the future through apprenticeship schemes and work placement opportunities.
ENDS
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Notes to editors:
- Balfour Beatty (balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 26,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
- Our main geographies are the UK, US and Hong Kong. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
- As an international infrastructure company, it is critical to our success that our employees are as diverse as the customers and communities we serve.
- Balfour Beatty’s Gas & Water teams work in the UK and Ireland, providing expertise and experience to support a stable and safe supply of these vital services.
- Our in-house teams offer technical knowledge and in-depth industry experience. We provide exceptional customer service and innovative approaches to minimise disruption to residents, businesses and the environment.
- Our water operations cover the whole lifecycle of networks. This includes clean and waste water mains, metering and treatment facilities. Working closely with our supply chain, we employ industry-leading approaches like BIM and offsite construction to ensure cost and time efficiencies.
- Balfour Beatty’s sustainability strategy, our Blueprint, sets out how Balfour Beatty delivers long-term economic, social and environmental outcomes for its employees, customers, society and shareholders.
- Balfour Beatty is committed to leaving a legacy in the communities in which it operates, working with local supply chain partners wherever possible, investing in local community initiatives and building the workforce of the future through apprenticeship schemes and work placement opportunities.
- Our framework is based on three pillars, which follow the classical three-dimensional sustainability model: economic, social and environmental. In our interpretation of this model they are named Profitable Markets, Healthy Communities and Environmental Limits.
