Print Toner Gets New Life in Asphalt
Resin from used Canon toner cartridges is being used in asphalt mixes.
In Newport News, VA, a collaboration between Canon Virginia and Basic Construction is recycling print toner material into asphalt mixtures.
Canon’s largest cartridge recycling center is located in nearby Gloucester, VA. There, used cartridges are received from customers, disassembled and sorted. Metals are sent to other partners for recycling, and the cartridges themselves are repelletized for production of new cartridges. Toner is now being sent to Newport News, where it is also repelletized.
Recycled Canon toner being added to asphalt at Basic Construction.
Photo Credit: Canon Virginia
The asphalt project began over two years ago when Basic, also located in Newport News, asked to test the recycled toner pellets as a binding agent. A large test matrix was designed to ensure performance and durability of the mixture. The testing process was lengthy but ultimately a successful formula was created.
The toner is made of a styrene-acrylate copolymer, which helps to bind and harden the asphalt mixture, reducing the need for virgin materials.
The Virginia Department of
Transportation (VDOT) has now authorized the use of toner pellets in asphalt mixes, and Basic Construction is purchasing 100% of the pelletized recycled toner produced by Canon.
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