VIEWS: Plastic Roads in India

A Dispatch by SSC Intern Wendy Tng

Plastic, though useful in its many forms, is also a problem, filling up landfills and making up a good part of marine debris. Now a company in India has found an innovative solution to plastic garbage.

Ahmed Khan’s company in Bangalore, India used to be in the business of producing plastic bags and other packaging material that would end up as trash. Now he is trying to use recycled plastic to solve two of India’s biggest problems – crumbling roads and overflowing landfills.

So far, Mr. Khan’s company has built more than 745 miles of road using 3500 tons of plastic waste, mainly in Bangalore’s technology and outsourcing hub. The plastic is mixed with asphalt to form a compound called polymerized bitumen. This lengthens the lifespan of the road, making it more able to withstand everyday wear and tear better.

This project goes some way in dealing with the 35 tons of plastic waste generated daily in Bangalore, since Mr. Khan says his company is now using 3 to 5 tons daily on the roads.

You can read more about these recycled roads here.

 

Comments

[Matt Logan]

Is there any danger of any of the chemicals in plastic leaching into the underlying soil?