With a new serious consideration of using plastic bottles to make roads, a greener path will surely follow in the years to come. Wired reports that the Dutch city of Rotterdam wants to turn the said material into highways soon.
This will be made possible by technology called PlasticRoad. The construction firm VolkerWessels introduces this supposedly environment-friendly alternative to asphalt that’s stronger, easier to maintain, and more resistant to extreme temperatures.
While asphalt has reigned as the top road material for its durability, it’s slowly turning into a foe to the environment. Its production releases 96 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Given this, PlasticRoad is said to be the more practical choice. Not only is it prefabricated and transported where needed, this technology also makes use of our waste—good news.
Bad news is, this concept will take a while to develop. In the near future, expect reports of a prototype and tests that ensure it won’t be slippery on this surface when wet.
Photo courtesy of VolkerWessels