In the fight against climate change (which we fought really badly again this year) no action is too small or unimportant. And after the experience of plastic road in Holland, now it's getting serious.
The latest initiative comes from South Africa: plans are intensifying to create sidewalks entirely made of recycled plastic from used bottles.
The great recycling
Shisalanga Construction, the company that will take care of this repaving, already has a little experience. He redesigned more than 400 meters of road in Cliffdale, on the outskirts of Durban, using this special asphalt. To do this, almost 40.000 two-liter plastic milk bottles were recycled.
Recycled plastic milk bottles? Better than asphalt
The company uses high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a particular type of plastic usually found in milk bottles. This plastic is turned into pellets at a local recycling plant.
Each ton of “asphalt” made from recycled plastic contains approximately 118 to 128 bottles. And to Shisalanga Construction They say the production process produces less toxic emissions than conventional methods. Can we believe it?
Not only that: recycled plastic produces a more durable and water-resistant asphalt. The material can withstand temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celsius and up to 22 degrees below zero.
High performance, take the garbage out of the world
Even if the cost of production is the same as the previous methods, the roads built in plastic asphalt allow to recycle this damned matter and should last longer, saving money for the city.
The KZN Department of Transport, the body responsible for commissioning the plastic project, appears to be impressed with the findings.
Ducasse kit, control technician at the KZN Department of Transportation, told CNN: “It works really well. Time will give us further confirmation, but what I saw is already great news.".
The department commissioned a viaduct to further test the material. And in the meantime, Shisalanga has contacted the National Roads Agency (SANRAL) of South Africa to lay an additional 200 tons of recycled plastic asphalt on the country's main highway, the N3.
