A Newcastle based program has played a major role in the construction of a NSW road built using recycled plastic.
The Plastic Police program has seen the collection of 40,000 soft plastics like chip packets and cling wrap taken from participating Hunter schools, the University of Newcastle and local councils.
With the project officially opened by Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton in Sydney, the material will now be used in the 220 tonnes of asphalt lining the Old Princess Highway in Sutherland Shire, alongside 4000 used printer cartridges.
Director of Plastic Police, Samantha Cross said a 2015 Hunter trial has lead to interstate collaboration.
"Last year, we made contact with a company called Close the Loop, based in Melbourne, who have been developing a product called Toner Clad - the latest development of an asphalt additive...
"Connections through the Plastic Police program were able to provide the material used in laboratory trials [which eventually lead to the construction project beginning]," Ms Cross said.
Since its inception in 2015, the Plastic Police program has saved close to 2 million pieces of soft plastics entering landfill.
Samantha Cross hopes to see more projects being completed in the future with recycled materials.
"In many instances, the use of plastic is unavoidable, so I'd like to think the participating councils and businesses will purchase-back products," she explained, "because it's no use collecting the plastic unless we can redirect it into alternative end markets and uses, and sending our recyclables overseas is no longer an option for Australia...
"We must develop our own end markets."
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