Hampshire County Council has said it is the first highway authority in the country to trial ‘plant-based’ plastic bollards.
The authority said the trial aims to install bio-polymer bollards, derived from sugar cane, to reduce its carbon footprint, improve safety and save money.
The ‘non-crete’ bollards are lighter than concrete bollards, making them easier to install, as well as cheaper and lower carbon because a key constituent of concrete is cement, whose production is highly carbon-intensive.
Picture credit: TMP solutions
Russell Oppenheimer, the council’s executive member for highways operations, said the bollards have a negative carbon footprint because sugar cane absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere when it grows.
He said: ‘This is a great opportunity to effect positive change at a local level and really reflects the county council’s determination to play its part on the critical issue of climate change and carbon reduction. Innovations like this will make a significant contribution to reducing our carbon footprint, leading the way in sustainable construction.
‘In recognition of the importance of building resilience, the county council has declared 2022 the Year of Climate Resilience. This presents an opportunity for the county council to increase awareness of the importance of resilience, promote our unique approach and the actions we are taking to build resilience, and to develop some showcase projects in partnership with key stakeholders – this trial, if successful could be such a project.’
The council said the bollards, supplied by TMP Solutions, are resilient, and if struck do not splinter and should not disrupt the foundation base in the pavement.
It added that the sugar cane used is regulated and adheres to local and international standards of sustainability. ‘Plantations are prohibited from expanding into areas which would negatively impact biodiversity and they do not take away arable land for farming, so there is no impact on food security and availability.’
