To support West Berkshire Council’s drive toward carbon reduction, it was decided to use paviours made from recycled material. They act as a ‘Sustainable Urban Drainage System’ (SUDS) allowing ‘source control’ of rainfall during flood events, as the paviours are designed to be installed with a grass infill. This type of material was used because previous recycled products have generally been unable to withstand loadings when compared to traditional concrete systems.

CellPave HD is manufactured from 100% recycled materials in the UK, and is 100% recyclable preventing waste to landfill. It is lightweight, easy to install and flexible, providing durability in adverse weather conditions. The high void area encourages healthy grass growth increasing the opportunity for biodiversity.

Traditional reinforced grass paving is made from concrete, and although increasingly, recycled materials are used in concrete production; a significant proportion still requires virgin materials. Traditional reinforced grass paving produces high levels of CO₂ through the production of the concrete and steel reinforcement mesh.

It can be difficult to calculate the total carbon saving due to a number of unknown factors, but what is clear, is that the manufacture of CellPave HD produces 6.44 kg CO₂/m² representing a significant reduction, compared to the typical reinforced grass paving carbon footprint of 22kg CO₂/m².

Kunle Kolaru, Operations Director for VolkerHighways, said: “It only takes small changes to make a difference to improve our carbon footprint. We are very pleased to be working with West Berkshire Council who have the same attitude towards improving the environment, as we do at VolkerHighways.”

Cllr Denise Gaines, Executive Member for Highways, Housing and Sustainable Travel at West Berkshire Council, said: “This project is an important first step in addressing unsightly damage to verges and will help deliver parking improvements to residents across the district, while providing an opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint.”