Paving Roads with Plastics

What is happening? Road construction can involve asphalt mixed with recycled plastics. Transportation officials want to see this recycled plastic road option pavement last longer, save money and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. The lingering question is whether the plastic laced roadways will leach chemicals into water.

Why is this important? “The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that 44 million metric tons of plastic waste were discarded in landfills in 2019. Only about 5 percent of the plastic waste in the nation was recycled, and 86 percent was deposited in landfills; the rest was burned to generate electricity.”

Governing | ‘Plastic Roads’ Are Paved With Good Intention