This spring Trafikverket starts testing new types of sleepers. The goal is finding alternatives to wooden creosote treated sleepers that are better for both health and environment. Plaståtervinning i Wermland AB have been assigned the mission to create a sleeper made out of the packaging collected through producer responsibility.
After the last of April 2018 creosote as a treatment may be banned in the EU.
- The environment is the most important aspect. The alternative sleeper must be more environmentally sound, otherwise it's not an option, says Anders Hammar, specialist in railway track components at Trafikverket.
The test is a so called innovation procurement. The alternative sleepers will be tested for at least a year and after an evaluation additional tests will be made with a larger number of sleepers.
Read more (in Swedish): https://via.tt.se/pressmeddelande/nya-sliprar-vinst-for-miljo-och-halsa?publisherId=44450&releaseId=233771