We have already seen plastic waste being recycled into various useful items, such as clothing and furniture. Now, for the very first time, plastic waste has been recycled into a beachside road.

 

The first road made from plastic waste is located in Noppharat Thara Beach–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Thailand’s Krabi province.

 

Used coffee packaging was crushed and mixed with asphalt, to create 10,270 kilograms of the plastic waste mixture to pave the 6,000 square metres of road.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-to-be-first-with-plastic-roads/

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-04-02

 

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Using plastic, integrating it into a National Park...?

 

Smashing..!

 

 

(contains nuts)

But if the road only used asphalt it would be ok ?

A load of bs reporting again "the first", UK been doing it for years India aswell, not only with plastic but with old tires also

I thought fake news was now a no-no.

Thailand is certainly not the first with plastic roads, been trialled in the UK for a couple of years now.

Pattaya has been doing it for years - locals call it litter & use soi dogs to spread it across road surfaces.

Well, if we can't reduce the never ending mountains of plastic waste we discard, then we do need to look at other ways of reusing it. 

 

I'm just curious as to the durability of this in structures such as roads, especially those subjected to the temperatures we get here. 

 

Good idea. 

Plastic roads in this heat.

 

What could go wrong???

Ah finally a use for all of those old Lego's.  It should be a snap to build those roads now.

2 hours ago, Nojohndoe said:

But if the road only used asphalt it would be ok ?

They are hoping mocy riders will bounce off the plastic roads when they go down! 

plastic roads in the rain.  what could possibly go wrong?

I’m thinking life size hot wheels tracks !!! - Fun times ahead !!!! 

 

------

 

Realistically, this a decent enough idea, but the headline is a dog-whistle to the Thaibasher's who are tripping over themselves to criticise Thailand at any opportunity before their intelligence kicks in or they do a little background reading. 

 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210302-could-plastic-roads-make-for-a-smoother-ride

 

https://www.allaroundplastics.com/en/article/innovation-en/2189

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Used coffee packaging was crushed and mixed with asphalt, to create 10,270 kilograms of the plastic waste mixture to pave the 6,000 square metres of road.

 

Assuming the road is 8 metres wide, 6000/8 = total length of road is 750 meters ...

3 minutes ago, nkg said:

 

Assuming the road is 8 metres wide, 6000/8 = total length of road is 750 meters ...

And the cost per m² is?

2 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

Plastic roads in this heat.

 

What could go wrong???

 

When asking 'what could possibly go wrong?", it's always a good idea to ask 'who thought of it?' and 'who is in charge?' Then the questions almost answer themselves.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

road made from plastic waste

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Ko Phi Phi National Park

 

Recognize the conundrum?

Plastic bottle have a high melting point of over 350c. I can't see it melting in Thailand. The durability is important.

28 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

6 hours ago, webfact said:

road made from plastic waste

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Ko Phi Phi National Park

 

Recognize the conundrum?

 

Nope... I don’t at all. 

 

I recognise someone who has made an assumption without an understanding and projecting a different issue of plastic bags, straws etc getting into the local ecosystem, unless you think bits of this road are going to float away and kill off the corals. 

 

Could Plastic “Lego” Roads Pave The Way To A Greener Future? | IFLScience

 

Lego's the wave of the future adult road builders who played with them as children.

12 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Plastic bottle have a high melting point of over 350c. I can't see it melting in Thailand. The durability is important.

 

Don't let facts get in the way of a Thai-Bash, you’re spoiling someones fun. 

1 hour ago, ParkerN said:

3 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

Plastic roads in this heat.

 

What could go wrong???

 

When asking 'what could possibly go wrong?", it's always a good idea to ask 'who thought of it?' and 'who is in charge?' Then the questions almost answer themselves.

 

In this case, could it be that ‘someone Thai thought of it and someone Thai is in charge of it, so a lot must go wrong.....right ??? ????

 

 

5 hours ago, faraday said:

Using plastic, integrating it into a National Park...?

 

Smashing..!

 

(contains nuts)

The normal problem with plastic getting into the environment is that it breaks down into micro-particles that are extremely injurious to marine and terrestrial life.

 

Plastics mixed in with asphalt however, are bound in a way that prevents them breaking down into micro-particles.

 

In addition, according to the research, these composite roads "have better wear resistance than standard asphalt concrete roads. They do not absorb water, have better flexibility which results in less rutting and less need for repair. Road surfaces remain smooth, are lower maintenance, and absorb sound better."

44 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

The normal problem with plastic getting into the environment is that it breaks down into micro-particles that are extremely injurious to marine and terrestrial life.

 

Plastics mixed in with asphalt however, are bound in a way that prevents them breaking down into micro-particles.

 

In addition, according to the research, these composite roads "have better wear resistance than standard asphalt concrete roads. They do not absorb water, have better flexibility which results in less rutting and less need for repair. Road surfaces remain smooth, are lower maintenance, and absorb sound better."

great idea but i see a problem. when they get a pothole in the road the council workers would need hundreds of different shaped pieces in their truck to fit into the jigsaw....see picture.

 

2 hours ago, 1Gringo said:

what could possibly go wrong?

 

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

I thought fake news was now a no-no.

Thailand is certainly not the first with plastic roads, been trialled in the UK for a couple of years now.

India also for several years:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/fishermen-kerala-india-recycle-plastic-pollution-culture

6 hours ago, Farmerkev said:

A load of bs reporting again "the first", UK been doing it for years India aswell, not only with plastic but with old tires also

<deleted> about reporting.  Should be first plastic road in Thailand. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

  Coming soon Thailand hub of plastic roads. ????

6 hours ago, Farmerkev said:

A load of bs reporting again "the first", UK been doing it for years India aswell, not only with plastic but with old tires also

"The first" in Thailand, it's the Thai news...????

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

In this case, could it be that ‘someone Thai thought of it and someone Thai is in charge of it, so a lot must go wrong.....right ??? ????

 

 

I see, the Thai apologist.

Show me one decent stretch of road, which didn´t broke or needs repair after a year of completion. And all these streets are built without an asphalt-plastic mix.
So what will be possible happing? Syphoning more money into the own pockets due to cost cutting on the asphalt part and mixing the road surface in the wrong proportion. Which will disintegrate the roads even faster.
Have you ever seen how these roads are built? There is no standard procedure at all. Just slap a 5cm asphalt surface on top of compacted clay, most suitable on a rainy day, and hope for the best that it will withstand the permanent stress of overloaded lorries.
Someone has given a thought what will happen, after the lifetime of the road surface, with this waste? How this will get recycled? Just dump it in the nearest forrest? That is only adding one step more to the same ending only that some Hiso is filling his pockets in this procedure. On the end the plastic ends in the nature.

Just now, GroveHillWanderer said:

The normal problem with plastic getting into the environment is that it breaks down into micro-particles that are extremely injurious to marine and terrestrial life.

 

Plastics mixed in with asphalt however, are bound in a way that prevents them breaking down into micro-particles.

 

In addition, according to the research, these composite roads "have better wear resistance than standard asphalt concrete roads. They do not absorb water, have better flexibility which results in less rutting and less need for repair. Road surfaces remain smooth, are lower maintenance, and absorb sound better."

 

All of which is very helpful, thanks. Your  exposition of the advantages and otherwise of plastic particles in asphalt was extremely helpful, though I have to say it didn't sound much like it was an accompaniment to a Thai innovation. I ask because it didn't sound particularly Thai, in fact it was rather more clear than I would have expected, abd I note and I note that other posters to this column have opined that the inclusion of plastic particulates in road  surfaces is neither new nor a Thai innovation, despite the editorial content claiming one thing, and implying the other thing.

 

Just a thought.

I think it does match with their plastic beaches..