Tesco and MacRebur partner on recycled plastic car park

Tesco has partnered with MacRebur to resurface one of its car parks using the equivalent weight of 225,000 plastic carrier bags.

The car park at Tesco Extra in Cuckoo Bridge, Dumfries, was resurfaced using 900kg of waste plastics that would have been destined for landfill or incineration.

“We are working hard to reduce plastics and re-use and recycle wherever possible. Re-using waste plastics in this way is another example of how Tesco are innovating in the war against waste,” said Kene Umeasiegbu, Tesco Head of Environment.

MacRebur– the plastic road company –produced the surface material by adding the plastics into an asphalt mix.

This was possible without the need to alter the existing equipment used to make and install the asphalt and performance is not compromised by using the plastic in the mix.

By using the waste plastic, not only is waste diverted from landfill or incineration, but the equivalent weight in fossil fuels has also been saved from extraction. The carbon footprint has also been reduced by over a tonne (1,044kg).

"We're able to take the waste plastics that are otherwise destined for landfill and add them into an asphalt mix to create a stronger, longer lasting, pothole free road surface,” explained Toby McCartney from MacRebur.

Tesco will be testing this new road surface out at the Cuckoo Bridge store through the winter and says it hopes to work with MacRebur on future projects to help re-use waste plastics.