Sri Lanka surfaces road in suburb of commercial capital with asphalt mixed with non-recyclable plastic waste
Sri Lanka has reportedly surfaced the first road with asphalt mixed with non-recyclable plastic waste, in a suburb of the country’s commercial capital, Colombo using an internationally accepted practice.
Asset group, which has interests in engineering and real estate said a 500 metre road from Ratmalana to Borupana, South of Colombo had been paved with an asphalt mixture containing shredded and molten plastic extracted from municipal waste, local media reports stated.
Reports further noted that non-recyclable plastic waste is taken from municipal waste (in Sri Lanka plastic, paper and food waste is now separated in households) shredded and heated with aggregates at 165 degrees centigrade.
“The molten waste-plastic-mix coats the heated aggregates before being coated with bitumen,” the Company has stated.
“The new material – waste plastic modified asphalt concrete mix – will be applied for surfacing of roads under 150 degrees centigrade temperature.”
According to the Company, the plastic asphalt mixture not only solves the waste problem but cuts road construction costs and makes the pavements more durable.
“Similar waste plastic modified asphalt mixes are successfully applied to road surfacing in countries such as UK, Canada, Netherlands, Philippines, India and Indonesia,” the Company has noted.
“… Asset Group believes that it would make a significant impact in the road construction sector, while becoming a catalyst for environmental sustainability in the long run.”
Asset Group said Sri Lanka’s municipal waste had reached 6,500 to 7000 tonnes per day by 2015, with 60 percent coming from the Western province.
OSL take:
The latest technology of combining plastic with asphalt to surface roads would solve the issue of disposing plastics in the country. The latest technology could be used as a cost effective method of surfacing roads even in other parts of the country. Interested foreign businesses/investors could look at the possibility of partnering in such a venture and explore opportunities of expanding such operations to other parts of the country.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20181008/Z_4 |