Islamabad: The World Bank (WB) stated in a report ‘Plastic Waste in Road Construction: A Path Worth Paying?’ that new options to use plastic waste in road construction is being explored, a news source reported on May 29. As the United Nations (UN) roadmap outlines solutions to cut global plastic pollution, plastic waste will be used as a partial substitute for raw material as a bitumen modified in the construction of roads.
The WB mentioned in its report that the upcoming international, legally binding treaty to decrease plastic pollution calls for a full lifecycle approach using both upstream and downstream measures.
The news source mentioned that the use of plastic waste in road construction is a downstream measure for utilising plastic waste as an input material. The report stated upstream measures are required to reduce plastic waste.
As per the details, the use of plastic waste as a bitumen modifier in roads is an innovation that uses plastic as input material. It was shared in the report that several companies are implementing this technology worldwide and so far, 132 plastic roads have been constructed across the globe. According to the authors of the report, the use of plastic waste in road construction is a viable solution for the application of plastic waste and for the protection of human health and the environment.
Moreover, it was disclosed that further research is required to fill major gaps in the knowledge base of plastic roads. The news source mentioned that the report aims to provide an overview of the use of plastic waste for the construction of roads using a dry process in South Asia. Recently, Pakistan has also constructed its first plastic road in Islamabad.
Iqra holds BS in International Relations and is passionate about writing engaging content on trending real estate topics. When not working, she is either spending time with family, shopping, or discussing shows & movies.
