New Zealand turns the textile waste into roads
New Zealand has been making the most of technology to fight the ill effects of climate change. Wellington City is again taking the lead in the country’s circular economy initiative. Its council started a trial recently using textiles as a performance additive in asphalt on roads – a first for New Zealand. There is the problem of textile waste, and on the other, the concern for better roads. While the unique methodology is still on trial, its implications are considerable. The textile-waste-to-road initiative has the potential to be a game changer in the country’s circular economy and net-zero goals by 2050.
Andy Foster, Mayor of Wellington, said that textile waste is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing waste streams. Their outsized impact relative to weight makes them an ideal focus for carbon reduction activities. Improving the performance of roads and creating jobs and economic opportunities onshore while also reducing waste and emissions is a win-win-win scenario.
The used textile may look harmless, but it can be an added burden to the planet. When consumers throw away used clothing, it can be a waste of money and resources. It can take over 200 years for clothing materials to decompose correctly in a landfill. During this decomposition process, textiles give off greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals (e.g., dyes) into the soil and the groundwater. However, used clothing and textile can be processed to contribute to a circular system. Cellulose, an extract of used textile, can be used to enhance roads. It is a timely additive in the asphalt roading mix that will help it stabilize. What is more, it can improve the final road’s work ability, strength, and homogeneity.
An estimated 220,000 tonnes of potential fiber in the form of textiles go to landfills in New Zealand every year. The Terrace between Ghuznee and Buller Streets in Wellington will be the first section of the road trialed with the new product. It will be laid with ‘Strength-Tex’, which incorporates 500kgs (half a tonne) of used textiles, conserving approximately 11,725kgs C02e (carbon equivalent) and 568,500 liters of H20 (water).