In total, half a ton of EcoFlakes has been incorporated into the road’s surface course. This project marks ecopals’ maiden venture on UK soil, and a milestone in the German company’s mission to make road construction more sustainable.

To meet the performance demands of modern road infrastructure, conventional asphalt production relies on substantial quantities of costly virgin polymers derived from crude oil.

By incorporating recycled plastics into the mix, EcoFlakes reduces this dependence, cutting CO₂ emissions by up to 20% compared to conventional asphalt while enhancing pavement performance. In this project alone, the amount of EcoFlakes used equals the annual plastic consumption of more than six average households.

Since 2021, ecopals has been supplying its additive technology across Europe. With more than 40 successful projects already completed in Germany, including a major section of the Autobahn A7, where 15,000 tonnes of asphalt were modified using ecopals’ technology, the company is now accelerating its deployment in the United Kingdom.

The foundational recycling process was developed by ecopals together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Germany. Through a multi-stage process, recycled plastic is refined for use in asphalt. This not only improves the thermal stability and long-term durability of the asphalt mixture but also ensures that a previously unused resource re-enters a sustainable material cycle.

Fabian Zitzmann, managing partner, ecopals, said: “By using EcoFlakes, we not only reduce the amount of raw materials needed for asphalt production but also make the road more durable. We’re thrilled to see our technology being applied in Scotland, marking another step in meeting the rising international demand for high-performance, sustainable
construction materials. We are very grateful to North Lanarkshire Council for the opportunity and the excellent collaboration.”

Seb Corby, head of innovation and technology consulting, SafetyTech Accelerator, said: “We’re delighted to have helped bring Ecopals’ world-class decarbonisation innovation to
the UK road sector for the first time.

“Through the BDRS programme, they’ve had the opportunity to engage directly with the UK roads ecosystem and take important steps towards demonstrating how new, lower-carbon materials can be applied in real-world conditions. It’s a fantastic example of how sandbox-style programmes can enable local authorities and innovators to work together to turn global innovation into practical progress on the ground — accelerating the journey towards more sustainable infrastructure.”

Elaine Nicol, road maintenance manager, North Lanarkshire Council, added: “As part of the Adept Live Labs2 Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads project, a sandbox was
introduced to examine the barriers new innovative SMEs faced when trying to launch new low carbon solutions to road maintenance materials on to the market and affording them the opportunity to trial their innovations on a local Road in the UK. Ecopals were successfully selected by the sandbox to trial their Ecoflakes product on a 100m stretch of
road in North Lanarkshire and this trial was carried out on Tuesday, the 7th October 2025.

“The Ecoflakes product was successfully incorporated into our traditional HRA surfacing mix and whilst the initial feedback from the Asphalt Plant, surfacing operatives and subsequent carbon savings perspective was positive, we will continue to monitor the site.”

Andy Bowers, asphalt expert, ACI Group, said: “ACI Group was thrilled to be part of a UK-first trial using Ecopals PRO Flakes. As the exclusive UK distributor for Ecopals, we saw the material manufactured into 35/14 HRA with recycled polymers, delivering outstanding results on the day. Fast dispersion in the asphalt, combined with smooth paving and rolling with no rutting, made this Live Labs trial a clear success, giving both client and contractor confidence for SMA and HRA applications.

“Hopefully this successful trial paves the way for wider adoption of EcoFlakes across the UK, supported by technical guidance, training, and integration assistance for contractors and authorities, positioning the product as a high performance, low carbon solution aligned with the country’s Net Zero and circular economy goals.”