Carmarthenshire trials use of recycled nappies to surface roads

Carmarthenshire County Council has partnered with Nappicycle & GD Harries to launch a trial project to surface roads using recycled nappies.

The project started in March 2024 on the B4336 at Pontwell and involved waste nappies collected by the council being recycled at Nappicycle’s facility in Capel Hendre. The nappies were turned into fibrous pellets and then sent to the GD Harries Blaencilgoed asphalt plant at Ludchurch, where we incorporated them into SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt), which was subsequently laid onto the road for surface improvement.

To monitor the road surface’s performance, a number of rigorous environmental assessments will be conducted. If the project is successful, Carmarthenshire County Council plans to expand this initiative as part of its sustainability goals.

This is not the first time that GD Harries has used this innovative material. We have used it as part of a Welsh Government-funded project with North & Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency (NMWTRA) to resurface a 1.5-mile stretch of road on the A487 between Cardigan and Aberystwyth. The project was designed to minimise the carbon footprint of Wales’s road network and maximise a circular economy, where materials and products can be reused or regenerated in a more environmentally friendly, sustainable way.

By using waste nappies, the amount going to landfill will be reduced, and the overall carbon footprint will be reduced as the use of new materials is minimised. The recycled nappy fibres will hopefully lead to the creation of stronger and longer-lasting roads.

For more information on this project, or to find out more about our asphalt products please contact us on 01834 860 464 or email info@gdharries.co.uk