Holland plans to build the first road made from recycled plastic by the end of this year as a more sustainable alternative than traditional asphalt roads.

An agreement signed by companies VolkerWessels, a subsidiary of KWS, and Total will allow the construction of "roads with a smaller ecological footprint than traditional road systems," said one inventor of this innovative proposal, Anne Koudstaal. The project has been called PlasticRoad.

The concept of the plastic road, first introduced in 2015 and created by Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma, consists of the construction of light modules from the recycling of plastic waste.

With the interior of the hollow modules, the structures can be equipped with cables and plastic tubes, and allow drainage from excess water. Simulating the famous Lego set, the snap-in installation system will allow you to join the different pre-fabricated modules under pressure, resulting in a quicker, simpler construction that avoids 85% CO2 emissions.

Plastic is a more sustainable material and with a longer life than asphalt, according to the expert. Moreover, the use of prefabricated materials will make this type of road more durable than traditional ones.

Koudstaal also remarked that "when the materials used fulfill their function and end their life cycle they can be recycled again, which contributes to a circular economy and a cleaner environment."

Rotterdam could be one of the first cities in the world to have this type of pavement in its streets, however, "many cities in Holland are really interested in this type of construction," said Koudstaal.

"At the moment it has not been decided in which city will be built the first test, but we know that the first plastic road will be built in the Netherlands, will be for bicycles and will be approximately 50 to 100 meters long," revealed the inventor.

The applications of this type of material and construction system are not only suitable for highways and, for the moment, they envisage other typologies such as "grounds for festivals, refugee camps and floors for houses", among others. A type of construction that takes into account the environment and sustainability and that "makes possible a better future for our children", he stressed, key aspects with which they hope to make a difference compared to the old and traditional construction systems.

Source: Efe
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