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TxDOT Wins National Recycling Association Award

2009 Construction and Demolition Recycling Excellence Honored By CMRA

AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) was recently named the 2009 Government Recycling Program of the Year by the Construction Materials Recycling Association (CMRA).

The CMRA Board of Directors presented the award to TxDOT during its 2009 annual meeting held April 6 in Tampa, Florida. Each year, CMRA recognizes organizations in four categories for excellence in recycling construction and demolition (C&D) material.

CMRA Executive Director Bill Turley explained that for more than 15 years, many of TxDOTs 25 highway districts have been among the most progressive for their use of recycled materials and aggregates.

In just the last two years alone, TxDOT saved approximately 1.8 million tons of virgin aggregates by incorporating recycled concrete aggregate in cement-treated base, flexible base, continuously reinforced concrete pavement, filter dams, gabion walls, concrete traffic barriers, flowable fill and select backfill for mechanically stabilized earth walls.

“This is on top of the state’s use of recycled shingles in hot mix asphalt for a few projects, and the common use of recycled asphalt in many operations,” said John Barton, P.E., TxDOTs assistant executive director for engineering operations. “If every state supported recycled aggregate like TxDOT did, the amount of recycled C&D materials in this country would go up tremendously.”

CMRA represents a diverse group of companies and agencies that promotes the safe and economically feasible recycling of the more than 325 million tons of recoverable C&D materials that are generated in the United States annually. These materials include aggregates such as concrete, asphalt, asphalt shingles, gypsum wallboard, wood and metals.

The Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 15,000 employees strive to empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing safety, improving air quality and preserving the value of the state's transportation assets. Find out more at www.txdot.gov.