World-first research adds waste toner to roads

World-first research adds waste toner to roads

Three Kiwi companies are investigating if waste residue toner recovered
from recycled cartridges can be re-used in New Zealand roads, in
research that could cut the volume of crude oil imported into the
country to make bitumen.

The project, which is a unique collaboration between Ricoh New Zealand,
Croxley Stationery and 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 Ricoh 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 is
significantly cheaper and also a world first.

Ricoh New Zealand managing director Mike Pollok says the project is a
fantastic fit with the company's focus on reducing environmental effects
from its business.

"Ricoh is committed to taking responsibility for the whole-of-life
impacts of its products, and finding a destination for un-used toner is
a great step forward."

The Ministry for the Environment 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.

TRC currently recycles more than 500,000 cartridges annually. Should the
project be successful, other manufacturers would be invited into the
scheme to achieve the goal of 100 per cent recycling of waste toner in
New Zealand.

The trial will 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. Should the project be successful, waste
toner which is currently sent to landfill could be converted into a
useable product, making the cartridges and toner within them 100 per
cent recyclable.

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