Clean Energy & Green Technology

[Rishi]

Making walls & pavements are much better option... India has tried making metalled roads before using molten wate-plastic with tar. But that gives rise to several other complications ;

The advantages
There is hardly any difference in constructing roads with this technology compared to conventional road construction methods. The mixing of shredded plastics is the only additional process. Yet, recycling plastic wastes by mixing them with bitumen can help build stronger, better quality roads at a cheaper cost.

The technology is about utilising the lowest-end plastic waste, which hardly has any recycling value that would have otherwise polluted water bodies, choked the drain or waterbidies d killed animals if consumed by them. The biggest advantage of plastic roads can be seen during the monsoon, when there is water-logging on the road and still no potholes are formed. The main reason is that the aggregates used in this construction are pre-laminated or coated with plastics, which stops rainwater from percolate through, hence contributing to longevity. Besides, it ensures better quality, water-resistant, maintenance-friendly roads, among others. In fact, its longevity is twice that of bitumen-only roads & strength of the road increases by 100% (increased Marshall Stability Value).
https://www.constructionworld.in/special...oads/21735

The disadvantages

The plastic used is still non-biodegradable, which with wear & tear, break down into tiny pieces to be washed down water courses into rivers, lakes and seas. These microplastics are hugely problematic.

They absorb other pollutants like legacy pesticides & carcinogenic hydrocarbons from the ocean or aquatic environment. These microscopic toxic bombs tend to be mistaken for food and ingested by zooplankton. Planktons are the foundations of any aquatic food chain, and plastics has found a way to contaminate that.
If not done correctly, plastic road-making itself may become a source of pollution... Only polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE) polymers should be used, & that PVC (polyvinyl chloride or flex) should not be allowed to contaminate the feedstock of waste plastics used in road laying. Thermal degradation of PVC, PP, PS, PE etc. will result in the emissions of harmful gases under sunlight.

Workers engaged in road-laying are particularly at risk from these emissions. Reply