14. October 2022 | Lion Berse
PixabayProcessed plastic bottles will soon be part of the pavement in Hawaii.
The amount of plastic waste around the world is increasing day by day. For this reason, the US island state of Hawaii now wants to use the waste sensibly – as road surfacing. The idea for this has been around for a long time.
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There will soon be a road in Hawaii that will be covered in garbage – at least in part. The street in the town of Ewa Beach is part of a pilot project in which Plastic waste in road construction Find application. This is achieved by adding plastic particles to the road’s asphalt surface.
“By using plastic in our asphalt mix, we save about 195,000 plastic bottles At the moment, Hawaii is still sourcing the plastic it uses from the mainland. If the project is successful, those involved see the possibility of incorporating plastic roads into the recycling process of waste on the island in the future include island.
Here’s how it works
Externally, the road will not differ much from normal roads. The added plastic is mixed with the asphalt, and is usually less than 15 percent. In addition, the plastic is treated beforehand so that finally there are small particles that are mixed with the asphalt.
This type of recycling of plastic waste significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to incinerating plastic.
The idea of using plastic in road construction is not new. Earlier this year we reported on a British company that recycles diapers and uses them to produce pellets that can also be used to build roads. In Germany, too, the use of plastics in asphalt is already being investigated. In Aschaffenburg, such a street was built last year, like this one NDR reported.
Environmental impacts are examined
The project will run for two years and will also examine the environmental impact of adding plastic to the asphalt. Especially the Exposure to microplastics and chemicals the scientists involved want to investigate.
“After a few months, after traffic has walked on it and the Hawaiian environment has warmed and weathered it, we will collect the rainwater from the road and look for microplastic levels and the chemicals in the plastic additives,” explains Dr. Jennifer Lynch, project collaborator from Hawaii Pacific University.
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