Pune gets its first road made from plastic waste

23-Nov-11

The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) recently repaired half a km of the road outside Hutchings High School by integrating plastic with tar known as polymer-modified bitumen, thus making good use of discarded plastic and preventing further damage to the environment. This move has been carried out with the advocacy of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prevent the persistent problem of potholes on the roads and to increase the resistance to water at a lower construction cost. ndtv.com reported, PCB Vice President, Prasad Kedari said, "It's comparatively cheaper than the usual road making cost and since it is on a trial basis we are planning to carry it out on roads that are not used extensively. This is our new initiative." Such road constructions were earlier carried out in the South and this is the first time it has been experimented in the city. "By using plastic we are recycling it and preventing further damage to the environment," he added. According to the contractors, 90% of bitumen is amalgamated with 10% of plastic that includes everyday waste ranging from carry bags to miscellaneous items like biscuit and gutka packets. These products are shredded into small pieces and mixed with the liquid before laying it on the road. Contractors say that the cost of the entire process is not more than Rs. 325 per metre.