RECYCLED roads could be the norm in East Renfrewshire if a council-run pilot programme to create surfaces from plastic proves to be a success.

Plans to introduce recycled plastic as a resurfacing agent for the area’s roads were revealed in the Barrhead News earlier this year.

Now council chiefs have announced that work on the unusual project will start next week.

Specialist firm MacRebur, based in Dumfries, will be supplying a plastic additive – which would otherwise be destined for landfill – in the asphalt mix for the pilot scheme.

The council will carry out resurfacing at Eaglesham Road, Clarkston, in two phases before comparing the plastic product with traditional road surfacing methods.

Councillor Alan Lafferty, East Renfrewshire’s environment convener, said: “We’re delighted to be trialling this new technology and, if it is a success, it will be good news for our roads and our environment.

“As the two phases are adjacent and subject to similar traffic loading, weather and laying conditions, it will allow us to analyse the performance of each material against the other more accurately.

“This will enable our roads team to consider whether it will be beneficial to our residents and communities to adopt plastic roads more widely.

“If the plastic roads prove to be as durable and cost effective as we hope, our ambition is to use plastic from East Renfrewshire households to build our own roads.

“Whilst we were the first local authority in Scotland to recycle more than 60 per cent of its household waste, we’re always looking to improve these figures and this scheme is a unique way to contribute to this.”

Work starts on site on Monday, with the council hoping to complete the project by mid-August.

Phase one will see the area between the roundabout at the entrance to Williamwood High School and 175 Eaglesham Road resurfaced with the new plastic road technology.

Phase two will tackle resurfacing between the junctions of Ashfield Road and Cartsbridge Road, using traditional materials.

MacRebur’s ‘MR’ products are engineered waste plastic pellets or flake, used as an additive to replace some of the bitumen in any asphalt mix.

The materials are designed to improve the strength and durability of asphalt whilst reducing the quantity of bitumen required, which could save East Renfrewshire money in the long term.