Mumbai: Maharashtra government has decided to use plastic waste along with tar in a bid to improve the durability and longevity of asphalt roads and reduce soil pollution.
The waste content for construction use will mostly include plastic carry bags. Every 100 kg of tar used to build asphalt roads will have three to six kg of plastic mixed in it. The move will not only save asphalt but will also help reuse plastic waste to reduce soil pollution.
"The Centre in its recommendations has stated that using plastic waste along with tar to build roads improves the quality. It also helps reduce soil pollution caused by plastic. Thus, the state government has decided to include plastic waste along with tar while building roads," a Public Works Department official said.
He said the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute has assured the government that roads built by using plastic waste along with tar will be of better quality and cheaper.
In the beginning, municipal corporations with a population of over 5 lakh and municipal councils that have a population of over 2 lakh will be asked to include plastic waste for building roads in 50-km radius, the official said.
For every 100 kg of tar used to build asphalt roads, 3 to 6 kg of plastic will be mixed in it, he said, adding materials like plastic carry bags, sacks, milk pouches, bin linings, cosmetic and detergent bottles, drinking water bottles, bottle caps, household articles will be used.
"Studies have revealed that plastics waste have great potential for use in bituminous construction as its addition in small doses, about 5-10 per cent by weight of bitumen, helps in substantially improving the Marshall stability, strength, fatigue life and other desirable properties of bituminous mix, leading to improved longevity and pavement performance," the guidelines by the Centre said.
Notably, Jamshedpur is the first city to start using plastic waste in its roads. Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company (JUSCO) using bitumen technology uses waste plastic, ranging from polybags to biscuit packets, for constructing roads.USCO, a 100 per cent subsidiary company of Tata Steel which maintains and provides municipal services in Tata command area of the city, has constructed 12-15 kms road in the steel city as well as Tata Steel Works besides widening 22 roads using the environment-friendly technology of utilising waste plastic.
