Huesker has introduced the world's first geogrid - ecoLine - made from 100 per cent recycled PET. The natural resources of the earth are limited. Therefore, it is all the more important to develop solutions that sustainably reduce consumption for example, in the form of waste and close material cycles. This is where the ecoLine concept comes in.

Other ecoLine products are to follow soon. As the first manufacturer of geotextiles worldwide, the Huesker Group, with headquarters in Gescher/Germany, is now producing one of its most popular geogrids, the asphalt reinforcement HaTelit C, from 100 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) yarns.

HaTelit C has been used successfully for more than 40 years as reinforcement in the rehabilitation of asphalt pavements. Different from the classic HaTelit reinforcement grids, which consist of conventionally produced PET, the ecoLine replaces one hundred per cent of the PET yarns with recycled yarns.

"The responsible and careful use of energy and resources is part of our sustainability strategy and is predominant throughout the entire value chain," stressed Dr. F- Hans Grandin, managing director of the Huesker Group. "In addition, it has always been our aim to replace conventional construction methods with the use of innovative products and applications made of geosynthetics where they are a better alternative due to their many positive properties in terms of quality, safety and reliability and especially sustainability," adds Sven Schröer, also managing director of Huesker.

The recycled material is produced from disposed PET bottles, which can be fed back into the production cycle in the form of granulate. "The recycled PET we use is an equivalent substitute for the original PET yarn. It has the same high quality and the same properties," says Schröer.

This was the prerequisite for the product launch of the eco version in order to be able to cover the full range of applications of the classic HaTelit C and at the same time offer a resource-saving alternative. Every kilogram of recycled PET yarn saves around 4.3 kg of CO2 emissions if conventional PET yarn is avoided. This corresponds to a car journey of 33 km (passenger car with emissions of 130 g equivalent CO2/km).

Huesker geotextiles are used worldwide in a wide variety of projects. These include earthworks and foundations engineering, roads and pavements construction, hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering and mining. They often carry enormous loads, are exposed to heavy stress and must perform to high standards in their fields of application, such as slope protection, sealing for groundwater protection, flood protection or reinforcement in road construction.

"We test our products very carefully. They are only made available to the market when all the necessary evidence has been provided and they meet our high requirements. As is the case with the recycled PET yarns we use," Schröer points out. "HaTelit C eco is the first step. We are aware of our responsibility and will continue our ecoLine with further products in the near future," says Schröer. (SV)