Manchester City Council’s latest recycling initiative – a footway where every element maximises recycled content – is located on Ringway Road, close to the city’s airport. Kerbs from recycled white plastic weigh around 6.5km, and although they cost more, the ability to move them by hand reduces maintenance costs. Other elements also save: verge edges use recycled black plastic; the surface course, crumbed rubber tyres; the binder course includes crushed bottles; the base course, crushed concrete, stone, bitmac and planed waste; and the concrete kerb bedding uses recycled stone aggregate. ‘We’re showing our design offices that these materials are out there,’ says external works manager, John Jenkinson.