For Irish local authorities, the pressure is growing—not just to manage waste, but to account for one of the most valuable and overlooked public assets in road construction: milled blacktop.

Every year, thousands of tonnes of high-value asphalt are scraped from Ireland’s roads during resurfacing. This material—known as road planings—is not just reusable, it’s financially valuable. Yet in far too many projects, it goes untracked, underreported, or disappears entirely.

As Ireland advances towards its 2030 climate and circular economy goals, county councils find themselves at the forefront of this national transformation. From emissions reporting to waste oversight and compliance with the Circular Economy Act, local authorities are tasked with an unprecedented administrative burden. Yet, staffing and resources remain stretched.

As infrastructure and construction projects come under increasing scrutiny to meet climate targets and support circular economy goals, the way road maintenance waste is handled is evolving rapidly. One area receiving focused attention is the management and reuse of road plannings—the milled asphalt generated during resurfacing works.