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Sydney – September 16, 2014: Resurfacing of Watkin Street, Newtown, using ashphalt containing recycled printer toner (photo by Jamie Williams/City of Sydney)

Australia’s first carbon neutral city is trialing a new environmentally-friendly asphalt blend on city roads that uses old printer toner.

Australia’s first carbon neutral council is trialing a new environmentally-friendly asphalt blend on city roads that uses old printer toner.

The city of Sydney’s new asphalt mix uses recycled materials including toner from discarded printer cartridges and is warmed at temperatures significantly lower than regular asphalt, meaning it takes less energy to produce.

Road resurfacing in Newtown, Sydney – thanks to recylced inkcartridges

Staff are using the product combined with other sustainable techniques to resurface sections of road across the city centre. The asphalt blend can reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent compared to conventional asphalt.

“The City uses around 6,000 tonnes of asphalt mix for road resurfacing every year,” said city’s construction services manager Andrew Christie.

Lord Mayor Clove Moore said cities use over two thirds of the world’s energy and emit more than 70 per cent of emissions.

“The recycled cartridges are saved from landfill. Around 20,000 tonnes of cartridge waste has been recycled in asphalt across Australia since the initiative began in 2012,” he said.

Sydney has a long-term target of reducing its carbon emissions by 70 per cent.

Could this be a move that influences New Zealand councils?

Tags: carbon neutral, sydney