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Puttur: A road built using plastic waste mixed with asphalt has been constructed near Puttur as part of an initiative to promote effective recycling of plastic waste.

The road has been laid near the integrated solid waste management Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at Bollody, close to Thingalady under the limits of Kedambady Gram Panchayat. The plastic used in the project was collected from the waste management centre.

The road, built with a grant of ₹15 lakh from the taluk panchayat, is about 105 metres long and 5.5 metres wide. Around 8 per cent processed plastic has been mixed with bitumen during the asphalt preparation.

Officials said plastic mixed roads are more durable than ordinary roads. They can better withstand heavy rainfall and pressure from vehicles. The project also provides a way to reuse plastic waste.

The Bollody solid waste management centre collects dry waste from gram panchayats in Puttur, Kadaba and Sullia. The facility has the capacity to process around seven tonnes of dry waste every day.

Dry waste collected from different villages is brought to the centre, where plastic materials are separated and processed using machines. The processed plastic is packed into bundles and sent for recycling. Around 25 staff members work at the unit.

Earlier, plastic waste from the centre was transported to other districts for recycling. This time, the plastic was used in road construction.

Officials said the work of laying the asphalt road was carried out on Monday.

They explained that adding processed plastic to bitumen increases the strength of roads and helps save about 10 per cent of bitumen. Plastic waste is cut into small pieces and heated at temperatures between 165°C and 170°C before being mixed with asphalt.

According to officials, one kilometre of road normally requires around 10 tonnes of asphalt. By using this method, about nine tonnes of asphalt and one tonne of plastic waste can be used.

Officials also noted that similar experiments were conducted earlier. A 100-metre plastic asphalt road was built during a workshop linked to the Swachh Bharat Mission at a waste management facility in Ujire. Last year, about 170 tonnes of plastic collected from four MRF units was used for the service road of a highway stretch from Talapady to Sasthan.

Suresh said mixing processed plastic with asphalt improves the durability of roads and helps them withstand rain and heavy traffic.

Naveen Bhandari said the project is an attempt to find a practical solution for plastic waste management by using it in road construction.