Construction, renovation and demolition account for about half the waste produced annually worldwide, while around 1 billion scrap tyres are generated globally each year.
The new material, developed by researchers at RMIT University, is the first to combine recycled rubble and rubber in a mix that is precisely optimised to meet road engineering safety standards.
Designed to be used for base layers, the recycled blend is more flexible than standard materials, making roads less prone to cracking.
Lead researcher Dr Mohammad Boroujeni said the rubble-rubber mix could deliver both environmental and engineering benefits.
“Traditional road bases are made of unsustainable virgin materials – quarried rock and natural sand,” Boroujeni said.
“Our blended material is a 100% recycled alternative that offers a new way to reuse tyre and building waste, while performing strongly on key criteria like flexibility, strength and permanent deformation.
“As we push towards a circular economy that can eliminate waste and support the continual use of resources, our recycled blend is the right choice for better roads and a better environment.”
In Australia, only 16% of scrap tyres are domestically recycled. About 3.15 million tons of processed building rubble – known as recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) – is added to stockpiles each year rather than being reused.
In 2019, federal and state governments agreed to ban the export of certain waste materials, with the aim of building Australia’s capacity to generate high value recycled commodities and associated demand.
As part of the agreement, whole used tyres will be banned from export by December 2021.