World-first research adds waste toner to roads

Photo / Thinkstock

Three companies are investigating if waste toner recovered from recycled printer cartridges can be re-used in New Zealand roads.

The project, if successful, could cut the volume of crude oil imported into the country to make bitumen, Ricoh New Zealand managing director Mike Pollok said.

The project which also involves Croxley Stationery and roading firm Downer, could result in diverting as much as 15 tonnes of waste residue toner a year away from landfill and into roads.

"Early testing has seen the successful inclusion of waste toner, left over from photocopiers and other devices in both bitumen and PMB (polymer modified bitumen).

"PMB has a high resistance to wear and tear and is used in heavy traffic areas, but the polymer additive is very expensive."

The addition of the waste toner to this material was significantly cheaper and also a world first, Mr Pollok said.

"The project is a fantastic fit with the company's focus on reducing environmental effects from its business."

The Environment Ministry awarded $45,800 from the Waste Minimisation Fund to the project.

Croxley's subsidiary the Toner Recycling Centre (TRC), which operates a cartridge collection and recycling programme for document solutions companies including Ricoh, collects the old toner cartridges and recycles more than 500,000 cartridges annually.

If the project was successful, other manufacturers would be invited into the scheme to achieve the goal of 100 per cent recycling of waste toner in New Zealand, Mr Pollok said.

The trial would continue testing waste toner in both PMB, the preferred option, and asphalt.

Downer, one of the country's leading designer and builder of roads, is helping to fund the research.

- NZPA