Doncaster Council has partnered with Duraproducts to trial the company’s recycled plastic kerbing units at two sites within the city.
Traditional concrete kerbs at North Bridge and West End Lane have been replaced with Durakerb, a recyclable lightweight kerbing solution made from 88% recycled polymer content.
The units are made from recycled milk bottles, caps and closures, plus other household and commercial polymer waste.
All Durakerb units can be either recycled into new products or repurposed in their entirety for different projects.
As part of the project, Highway Operations, in collaboration with the Highways Asset Management Team, researched alternative methods to design out or greatly reduce the need for manual handling of concrete kerbs and channels, as well as decreasing exposure to silica dust.
Doncaster Council said it selected Durakerb for its “superior” health and safety credentials, specifically relating to handling issues involving concrete.
The unit weighs under 6kg, so can be lifted by hand without the need for machinery at any stage of installation, and every unit can be hand sawn and resized to fit any space.
Andy Leah, General Manager at Duraproducts commented: “It’s great to see Doncaster Council leading the way in sustainable infrastructure.
“By partnering with Duraproducts and implementing our innovative recycled plastic kerbing units, the council is not only improving the environment but also prioritising the health and safety of its workforce.
“The successful trials demonstrate the viability and benefits of this sustainable solution, and we hope to see more councils adopting similar practices in the future.”
The local authority identified one high-stress area, which suffers from regular HGV override and has previously been repaired to test the capabilities of Durakerb, as well as one low-stress site.
Following the completion of the works, Doncaster Council said although there was clear evidence of vehicle override, the kerbs had not become damaged or displaced.
The second site selected for the trial is predominately used by domestic vehicles. Early indications show that the kerbs installed at the two sites have enabled safe, single-person manual handling, the local authority said.
The council has proposed extending the use of Durakerb to other suitable projects across the borough with a view to them becoming the norm rather than the exception.
