The world has a plastics problem Every minute the world buys one million of single use plastic bottles. We are not only using too much of it, but we also recycle far too little of it. It ends up in landfills and polluting our waterways, forests, beaches, towns and cities. But, recycled plastic can now improve our roads and clean up our environment!
Recycled plastic roads
Even if we stopped using plastics overnight, it would leave us with all that pollution in our environment.
And let’s face it, we aren’t going to stop overnight to begin with. This is why finding new ways to use all that discarded plastic to improve our society and clean up our planet, is an important issue.
One way that recycled plastics can be used these days is to help build roads. Yes, we said roads. Several countries already use various methods that incorporate recycled plastic into their roads and highway systems with amazing results.
Lowering emissions with plastic roads
By using these materials, that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, or even end up littering the side of our highways, they have developed paving materials that are stronger, last longer with fewer signs of wear and tear.
It will help reduce the costs of construction, lower the temperatures needed to produce asphalt, which in turn helps to lower emissions!
For the time being recycled plastics are just a new ingredient within a mostly traditional way to pave our roadways, mostly by helping with the binding of the other materials, but there is work being done to develop systems made entirely of recycled materials.
These could be built in sections, which would be much lighter and stronger than we currently have, and could be fairly easily swapped out when damaged.
By utilizing materials that would otherwise contaminate our planet, we may be able to save waste, both in materials and in money in the not so distant future.
Check it out here! Using Plastic To Improve Roads and Reduce Waste
Source: Offgridliving.net
