Maximising recycling in local authority highway works - the experience of Hampshire County Council

Highway maintenance and new construction works carried out by Local Authorities present many opportunities for recycling, both through reuse of arisings and by utilizing locally available recycled and secondary aggregates. This can be cost effective and give excellent technical performance as well as meeting environmental objectives such as reduced consumption of primary aggregates and reduced emissions of CO2. Recycling is most likely to be successful when the client is fully committed to the process and all the stakeholders are involved from an early stage. Hampshire County Council is fully committed to sustainability and has set up a partnership for highway maintenance with Raynesway Construction Southern Ltd and Foster Yeoman Limited that pioneers a natural resource management approach. This is illustrated by four case studies that demonstrate an innovative approach to recycling in unbound applications, footways, bituminous base and binder courses, surface dressings and concrete. (A)