Putting plastic rubbish into new roads | ITV News

Summary

This video highlights an innovative approach to road resurfacing using asphalt mixed with recycled plastic waste. The plastic, including hard-to-recycle types like packaging and shopping bags, is ground down and incorporated into road material. The new surface, tested in areas like Bishop Auckland, is expected to perform as well as traditional asphalt and is more durable, potentially reducing potholes. With only 50% of plastic being recycled in the UK, this method offers an eco-friendly solution to both plastic waste and road maintenance, paving the way for future projects.

Takeaways

• 😀 A new type of asphalt is being used for road resurfacing, made from plastic waste.
• 😀 The plastic waste used in the asphalt includes items like plastic bottles, ready meal packaging, black single-use plastic, and supermarket carrier bags.
• 😀 The plastic waste is ground down into small pieces and mixed with other materials to create the road surface.
• 😀 This recycling method helps repurpose plastic that is otherwise difficult to recycle.
• 😀 The project is currently taking place on the A68 at Toft Hill, near Bishop Auckland, and is the only place in the region using this technique.
• 😀 The plastic waste-based asphalt has already been tested on roads and is expected to perform as well as traditional asphalt.
• 😀 This new material has the potential to reduce potholes and increase the lifespan of road surfaces.
• 😀 A test road at A689 Edgefield used 6.5 tons of plastic, equivalent to 60,000 plastic shopping bags.
• 😀 The UK recycles about 50% of its plastic waste, but globally, the recycling rate is much lower, indicating a significant opportunity for improvement.
• 😀 Using waste plastic for road resurfacing could provide an ongoing, large-scale solution to managing plastic waste.
• 😀 The initiative is seen as a promising step toward sustainable infrastructure, with future plans to increase the amount of plastic used in the material.

Q & A

What is the new type of asphalt used in the road at Toft Hill?

The new type of asphalt contains plastic waste that is typically difficult to recycle, such as plastic bottles, ready meal packaging, and supermarket carrier bags.

What types of plastic waste are used in the asphalt mix?

The asphalt mix uses various types of plastic waste, including plastic bottles, single-use black plastic (like those found in ready meal packaging), meat packaging, and supermarket carrier bags.

What is the significance of using plastic in the asphalt?

Using plastic waste in asphalt helps recycle materials that are difficult to process and diverts waste from landfills. It also provides a sustainable alternative to traditional asphalt.

How is the plastic waste incorporated into the asphalt mixture?

The plastic waste is ground down into small pieces, mixed with other materials, and then heated before being loaded onto lorries for use in resurfacing the road.

Where is the new plastic-based asphalt being tested?

The new plastic-based asphalt is being tested in the region around Bishop Auckland, specifically on the A68 at Toft Hill and the A689 at Edgefield.

How much plastic waste is used in resurfacing the A689 at Edgefield?

The resurfacing of the A689 at Edgefield used six and a half tons of plastic waste, equivalent to 60,000 plastic shopping bags.

How does the use of plastic in asphalt benefit the environment?

It helps reduce plastic waste, which is challenging to recycle, and repurposes it into something useful, reducing landfill waste and offering a sustainable alternative to traditional materials.

What is the potential for expanding the use of plastic in road surfaces?

The project aims to expand the use of plastic in road surfaces by increasing the amount of plastic used in the mix and extending this innovation to more resurfacing projects.

What is the expected performance of the plastic-based asphalt compared to traditional asphalt?

The plastic-based asphalt is expected to perform at least as well as traditional asphalt, providing a durable road surface with improved resistance to potholes.

Why is it difficult to recycle certain types of plastic used in this asphalt?

Certain types of plastic, such as black single-use plastic and packaging used for meat, are challenging to recycle due to their composition and the difficulty in processing them with traditional recycling methods.