A growing plastic smog, now estimated to be over 170 trillion plastic particles afloat in the world’s oceans—Urgent solutions required. 5 Gyres Marcus Eriksen ,Win Cowger,Lisa M. Erdle ,Scott Coffin, Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez, Charles J. Moore, Edward J. Carpenter, Robert H. Day, Martin Thiel, Chris Wilcox March 8, 2023

Where the idea came from...... I grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Bangladesh, near a large dump site. As a child, I noticed that people living closest to the piles of waste were often sick, while those farther away were healthier. At the time, I didn’t know the science behind it – I just saw neighbors having to choose between buying medicine and buying dinner. That memory left a long-lasting impact on me. Years later, when I became an engineer, I learned that poor waste management doesn’t just harm the environment – it harms people. That realization became the foundation of my work.

How plastic roads work......Traditional asphalt is made from a mix of stones, sand and a petroleum-based binder called bitumen, which holds everything together. In my research team’s process, we replace a small part of that bitumen – about 8% to 10% – with melted plastic from everyday items, such as single-use plastic bags and plastic bottles. For our plastic road construction project near Dallas, we used 4.5 tons of plastic waste for nearly a mile of a one-lane road. We first clean the plastic, then shred it into small flakes. Finally, we mix it into the asphalt at high temperatures. These steps ensure that it melts completely and bonds tightly, leaving no loose plastic behind. This process is like adding rebar to concrete: The plastic adds flexibility and strength. Roads with this mix can better handle extreme temperatures and heavy traffic. In hot places, that means fewer cracks and potholes. During an extreme heat wave in April 2024, plastic road constructed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, showed no visible signs of distress or cracks, whereas many roads in Bangladesh had visible cracks and distress during the same period. It also reduces the demand for new petroleum-based materials, since we’re reusing recycled plastic that already exists. Plastic road replaces bitumen, an already petroleum-based ingredient in the road, with waste.

The plastic waste problem.......Plastic waste has grown dramatically over the past several decades. In the U.S., plastic waste has increased every year since the 1960s, with the steepest rise between 1980 and 2000. In 2018 alone, landfills received nearly 27 million tons of plastic, making up 18.5% of all municipal solid waste nationwide. That’s a staggering amount of material sitting unused.Plastic-infused asphalt can also save money. Because it lasts longer and resists cracking, cities may spend less on repairs and maintenance. In Rockwall, for example, early estimates suggest these roads could extend the pavement’s life by several years. Under extreme heat, bitumen can melt. During a performance evaluation of a plastic road test section in Bangladesh, we found that adding plastic to the mix increases the road’s heat resistance. These results are especially helpful for states like Texas that deal with extreme heat over the summer. For our sites in UTA’s parking lot and in Rockwall, the pavement has so far stayed intact on days when temperatures surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Overcoming challenges......But there are still challenges.......read on         https://theconversation.com/infusing-asphalt-with-plastic-could-help-roads-last-longer-and-resist-cracking-under-heat-264156