Barcelona launches its first street with recycled ink waste pavement
Doctor Bové street in the Carmel neighborhood, Horta-Guinardó district, has been selected for the installation of this innovative and sustainable pavement, which will not only provide greater resistance and less deformation to the asphalt, but will also contribute to reducing the carbon footprint y replacing part of the raw material with this waste.
SOCOTEC engineering, in collaboration with IM3, is carrying out the construction management of the first urban pavement made from toner waste. This material uses the waste generated in the production of printers, thus reducing the CO2 emissions associated with the treatment of the chemicals present in this waste. In addition, this initiative reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and reduces the likelihood of soil contamination.
As part of the Barcelona City Council's Pavement Maintenance contract, SOCOTEC is installing an innovative asphalt material developed by the companies AMSA and KAO. This material aims to be a more sustainable alternative to traditional pavements. According to Albert Cruz, Socotec's site manager, "the replacement of bitumen or asphalt mix fines with percentages of other recycled materials not only gives a new life to a waste material, but can also provide properties that improve existing solutions," offering improvements in both sustainability and functionality and extending the useful life of the material.
Sustainability
Sustainable pavements in use: the benefits for Barcelona
The use of sustainable pavements is becoming more and more common in Barcelona. SOCOTEC has already participated in pilot tests for the implementation of sustainable materials in the past. In 2022, a pavement was installed in Torrent de l'Olla, in the Gracia neighborhood, which reduces the heat island effect and has sound-absorbing properties, thus improving urban conditions. Asphalt with recycled plastic content was also used on Ferrocarril street in the Sant Andreu district.
Guillem Baraut, CEO of SOCOTEC, highlights "the importance of these actions as true cross-industry collaborations, promoting the use of complementary material cycles and fostering a circular economy."
These advances represent a major step towards promoting sustainability in the construction sector and reinforce SOCOTEC's commitment to the decarbonization of the industry, considering the impact of construction processes to boost circularity and close the cycle of other materials.
The use of sustainable pavements is becoming more and more common in Barcelona. SOCOTEC has already participated in pilot tests for the implementation of sustainable materials in the past. In 2022, a pavement was installed in Torrent de l'Olla, in the Gracia neighborhood, which reduces the heat island effect and has sound-absorbing properties, thus improving urban conditions. Asphalt with recycled plastic content was also used on Ferrocarril street in the Sant Andreu district.
Guillem Baraut, CEO of SOCOTEC, highlights "the importance of these actions as true cross-industry collaborations, promoting the use of complementary material cycles and fostering a circular economy."
These advances represent a major step towards promoting sustainability in the construction sector and reinforce SOCOTEC's commitment to the decarbonization of the industry, considering the impact of construction processes to boost circularity and close the cycle of other materials.
