Eco-Friendly Technology Paves The Way

Developer Steve Wendling chose a green-friendly pavement for a parking lot off Green Meadows that comes in five different colors. It's called Filterpave and it's a new type of pavement mix made almost completely of recycled glass.

"It's over twice as porous as concrete or asphalt, which is another reason to use it, and even though it's more expensive with it being twice as porous, it actually is about the same price because you can use half as much," Wendling said.

The recycled glass is rolled to shave off sharp edged, mixed, poured and smoothed making both colorful and eco-friendly pavement.

"The glass will absorb oils and things out of a car that's dripping. Whereas instead of staining the concrete and then the oil running off into the stream," Wendling said. "Instead of the water running off, sheeting off like DNR is trying to eliminate, the water actually filters down into the glass, and in this particular case we have 12 inches of rock and piping that goes into the storm drain system so that it will leak into the system and not just flash flood."

The mix is made up of more than 95% recycled glass.  More tests are being done to see if the environment friendly pavement can be used on major roadways.  Until then, the Missouri Department of Transportation is pushing the pour of an eco-friendly warm-mix asphalt on highways this construction season.

"A lot of emissions are reduced because you're warming this asphalt, not heating it up like to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, which is typical of normal asphalt," MoDOT spokesperson Jorma Duran said.

MoDOT released a statement saying Carbon Dioxide emissions are reduced by 20-40%, Sulfur Dioxide by 20-35%, Carbon Monoxide by 10-30%, Volatile Organic Compounds by 50%, and Nitrous Oxides by 70%.

"It makes the road last longer, it helps the environment, and it saves the tax payer money as well," Duran said.

MoDOT said the new green technology saves $140 to $420 per mile on a two lane highway. The mix has already been used on parts of Highway 54 in Callaway County, parts of I-70, I-44, and I-55.