Plan for recycled plastic roads in fast lane.


Plan to use plastic waste to construct roads is set to get a big boost.

The task force formed by Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) department to segregate plastic waste decided on Tuesday that Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) should segregate the waste at the collection source.

The task force comprises BMC and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) officials, Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) and works department. “The plastic wastes will be segregated during the collection of municipal solid wastes. The pollution control board will provide technical guidance to civic bodies on how to collect and segregate the wastes and the works department will facilitate the use of bulk of segregated wastes for construction of roads,” said BMC commissioner Sanjib Mishra.

“According to the plan, once segregated by the civic body, the wastes will be lifted by the works department, which will send the bulk of waste to a recycling centre,” said senior environmental scientist Dilip Kumar Behera.

A recent OSPCB study revealed that plastic waste in the city would constitute nine percent of the total municipal solid wastes in 2013-14, an increase of six per cent. It was three per cent in 2008. Compared to its generation, there has been less disposal and collection. Pollution board sources said only 60 per cent of plastic wastes is disposed and recycled with the remaining 40 per cent remaining uncollected. According to a rough estimate, about 5.7 kg plastic waste per head per annum is generated.

Behera said a few cities in India have applied the recycled plastic for road construction. The plastic-mixed concrete can be durable, especially during monsoon, he added. “In several cities roads, which have contents of plastic, are less vulnerable to rain and pressure. They don’t develop cracks easily,” Behera said.

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