Britain used waste tyres in M1 asphalt, recycling up to 750 per kilometre
Highways England and Tarmac tested the use of granulated rubber from recycled tires in asphalt on the M1 motorway. The trial demonstrated that incorporating waste rubber into road surfaces is a viable, durable solution for managing tire waste.
Why it matters
This innovation offers a practical method for circular economy practices in large-scale infrastructure projects.
Britain began testing an unusual solution to its mounting tyre waste in 2019, when Highways England and construction company Tarmac laid a road surface containing recycled tyre rubber on the M1 near Leicester, according to a UK government press release published that August. The trial tested whether granulated rubber from waste tyres could be incorporated into asphalt durable enough for a heavily trafficked motorway. Two years later, Tarmac said the material had secured BBA HAPAS Clause 942 approval for use on the UK’s strategic road network, marking a significant step towards its wider adoption.From waste tyres to motorway surfaceThe original trial was carried out on the southbound M1 between junctions 23 and 22.
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