Page 13 from: August 2015

N E W S
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The municipal solid waste (MSW)
recycling rate in the USA was 34.3% in
2013 and thus almost equal to the
34.5% recorded for 2012, according to
a report from the country’s Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA).
The USA generated 254.11 million tons
of MSW and recovered 87.18 million
tonnes for recycling and composting.
MSW generation climbed 1.2% in 2013
compared with slightly more than 251
million tonnes in 2012.
At 63.3%, the paper and board recycling
rate was lower in 2013 than the 64.6%

for the previous year. The glass recycling
rate also fell slightly to 27.3% whereas
plastics recycling witnessed an increase
from 8.8% in 2012 to 9.2% the follow-
ing year. www.epa.gov

MSW recycling rate remains
above 34% in USA

The steel, rubber and textile
fi bres from tyres can be used in concrete
to make buildings ‘earthquake-proof’, a
new EU-funded project has revealed.
Recycled rubber from tyres can help
buildings and other structures fl ex up to
10% along their length, according to
experts at the University of Sheffi eld and
Imperial College London, both in the UK.
‘That is 50 times more than structures
made from conventional concrete,’ the
researchers note.
It would also be possible to blend tyre
wire – known to be ‘exceptionally strong’
– with other steel to increase the fl ex-
ural strength of concrete, thereby reduc-
ing energy input requirements by 97%
and minimising cracks at the micro level.

The project was conducted in associa-
tion with the European Tyre Recycling
Association. It points out that over 3
million tonnes of tyres reach their end-
of-life stage in the EU every year and yet
a signifi cant proportion of post-consum-
er tyres are incinerated.
www.etra-eu.org

Used tyres can help counter
earthquake impacts

Major road constructor KWS Infra,
a subsidiary of the Dutch VolkelWessels
group of companies, has launched a plan
to create motorways made of recycled
plastics. Plastic Road consists of 100%
recycled material; this prefab construc-
tion is lightweight and is hailed as a
sustainable alternative to the asphalt

traditionally used to make motorways.
Plastic offers many advantages com-
pared to current road structures, accord-
ing to KWS Infra’s managing director
Rolf Mars. ‘Plastic Road is almost 100%
maintenance free,’ he points out. ‘It is
resistant to corrosion and weathering,
it can easily bear temperatures from -40
to +80 degC and it is much more resis-
tant to chemicals. We estimate that the
lifespan of roads can be tripled.’
Another major advantage of Plastic Road
is ease of installation on a surface of
sand. Furthermore, the hollow space cre-
ated in the road can be used for water
retention or for electric cables and pipes.

Motorways of the
future to be made of
recycled plastics?

Greennet in Israel, which forms
part of the Teco Group, has launched a
new recycling plant to handle the waste
from 1 million residents living in the
Jerusalem region, the Jerusalem Post
newspaper has reported. Around NIS
100 million (US$ 265 000) has been
invested in the venture.
Construction of the facility began in
September 2013 to replace the over-
fl owing Abu Dis landfi ll. The Greennet
facility will receive 250 truckloads of
refuse on a daily basis and has an annu-

al capacity of 400 000 tonnes. ‘The
amount of waste recycled in Jerusalem
has grown considerably and (the recy-
cling rate) currently stands at about
50%, which has led Jerusalem to
become a city in which the largest
amount of waste is recycled in the coun-
try,’ says Greennet’s ceo Offer Bogin.
The Greennet facility is expected to save
Jerusalem around NIS 17.8 million (US$
4.7 million) annually owing to a reduced
landfi ll levy and decreased waste trans-
port needs. www.tecogroup.co.il

New waste treatment
chapter for Jerusalem

RI-6 NEWS.indd 13 05-08-15 13:22