Why Isn't the U.S. Using Recycled Glass for Paving Roads?

Despite its abundance and environmental benefits, recycled glass remains vastly underutilized in U.S. road construction. While other nations like Europe and Australia have embraced glassphalt—a mixture of recycled glass and asphalt—as a sustainable road material, the U.S. lags behind due to several factors:

  • Cost: Glassphalt is more expensive than traditional asphalt due to the cost of collecting, processing, and transporting the recycled glass.
  • Technical challenges: Glassphalt requires specialized equipment and techniques to ensure durability and performance.
  • Contractors' resistance: Traditional contractors may be reluctant to adopt new technologies like glassphalt due to concerns about cost and liability.
  • Lack of policy support: The U.S. lacks comprehensive policies that incentivize the use of recycled materials in road construction.

By overcoming these challenges, the U.S. could reap significant benefits from using recycled glass for paving roads. Glassphalt has been shown to increase road durability, reduce noise pollution, and improve traction. Additionally, it diverts glass from landfills, conserving resources and reducing waste.

  1. What are the advantages of using recycled glass for paving roads?
  2. Why is the U.S. lagging in the adoption of glassphalt?
  3. What steps can be taken to increase the use of recycled glass in road construction?
  4. How does glassphalt compare to traditional asphalt in cost and performance?
  5. What are some case studies demonstrating the successful use of glassphalt?
  • Colas Group: Glassphalt
  • GGR Group: Repave
  • Road Science: Glassphalt
  • Tarmac Group: MacGlasphalt
  • VolkerWessels: Glasphalt

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