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Extracted from: The Big Picture. Specifying recycled in local authority contracts for highways maintenance: Good practice. WRAP.

When Suffolk County Council recently went out to tender for the South Lowestoft Relief Road scheme, they adopted a two-part approach. Tenders were assessed first on quality, and then qualifying tenders were compared on price.

In the quality submission, bidders were required to outline their approach to innovation - including the use of in-situ recycling and local materials. The Council's aim was to avoid materials being transported over long distances, particularly by road.

The Council specified in the Bill of Quantities a range of 7-10% for the use of recycled asphalt, in order to gain an estimate of how much this would cost. Relevant highway specifications were adjusted to permit higher recycled content.