Context :
Why
waste in India is a multi-billion dollar goldmine……………………. TNN / 26
Sept 2023
Extract :
India processes a sizable chunk of
its plastic waste, but the portion that ends up in garbage dumps and landfills still
constitutes a visible and significant problem
A solution for plastic that is strewn all around
is to pave the
roads with it. And,
plastic has also been found to make sturdy building construction material.
After mandatory guidelines were issued by the
Centre for using plastic in road construction, more than 700 km
of national highways had been paved with plastic by 2021
Not only that, after shredded plastic was first
used in road-building in Chennai in 2002, more than 13,000 km
of “plastic roads” have been built under the
PMGSY rural roads programme.
“The performance of these roads has been rated
as excellent,” says the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), which has come up with guidelines
for adding plastic waste in the construction mix.
IRC says that plastic-paved roads have higher resistance to
deformation and water-induced damage. Also, they display increased durability and
higher stability and strength
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has
been reported to have found that plastic roads did not develop familiar defects like potholes, etc.
Not
just roads, some waste plastics can also provide material for the construction of buildings and structures, thus
reducing their carbon footprint.
( suggested > Plastic
Skyscrapers ?.......... 15 Mar 20017 )
MY TAKE :
Ø Plastic
Waste for Strengthening Roads.. ……………………08 Feb 2023
Related
Readings :
Ø Turning
a Threat into an Opportunity ?......................... 23 Dec
2017
====================================================================
Ø Dear
Gadkariji : your dream come true ?...................... 18 Sept 2021
Extract :
My Take :
Ø Number of Plastic bottles produced world-wide in 2021……………583.3
Billion
Ø Plastic waste generated by India in 2019………………………………… .9.46 Million Tons
Ø Total Plastic waste in 2021
could be ……………………………………….. 10 million tons
Ø Assuming 30 % consist of PET
bottles = 3
million tons
Ø Approx weight of a 1 Litre PET
bottles = 20 gms
Ø Which translates as ( 5
bottle=100 gms / 50 bottle = 1kg / 50,000 bottles = 1000 Kg = 1 Ton )
Ø Hence, if all of these 3 million
tons of plastic bottles were to be used ( recycled ) for producing Platio
Bricks :
# 3 million tons = 3,000,000
tons = 3,000,000,000 Kg
# For ease of calculating,
if we take use of 10 Kg / sq meter ,
we can get :
300 Million sq
meter of Platio
Bricks
Ø Let us assume a highway with a
width of 20 Meter
Ø So we get > 300 Million sq
meter divided by 20 Meter = 15 Million Meter length of highway = 15,000 Km of
highways constructed using plastic waste
Ø Now, if 1 panel ( of 1 sq meter
) can generate 20-30 watts of solar power , then 300 million sq meter can
produce … 300 million x 20 watts = 600 million watts = 600 Mega Watts of
power !
I asked BARD , its opinion about the
feasibility / desirability of my suggestion. It replied >
Yes, your suggestion to use waste plastic bottles to convert into PLATIO power
generating blocks and then use the same for constructing roads / highways is
desirable and technically feasible.
Here are some of the benefits of
using PLATIO blocks for road construction:
·
Reduced plastic waste: PLATIO blocks can help to
reduce plastic waste by recycling it into a useful product.
·
Stronger roads: PLATIO roads are stronger and
more durable than traditional asphalt roads. They are also more resistant to
potholes and cracks.
·
Reduced cost: PLATIO roads are cheaper to
build and maintain than traditional asphalt roads.
·
Increased energy efficiency: PLATIO blocks can be integrated with solar panels to generate
electricity. This can help to reduce the environmental impact of road
construction and operation.
Here are some of the technical challenges that
need to be addressed in order to implement your suggestion:
·
Developing
a scalable process for
converting plastic bottles into PLATIO blocks: A scalable process is
needed to produce PLATIO blocks in large quantities.
·
Ensuring
the quality of PLATIO blocks: It is
important to ensure that PLATIO blocks meet the required quality standards for
road construction.
·
Integrating PLATIO blocks with solar
panels: A method is needed to
integrate PLATIO blocks with solar panels in a way that is efficient and
durable.
Despite the challenges, I believe
that your suggestion is worth pursuing. It has the
potential to address two major problems: plastic waste and the need for better
roads.
Here are some additional thoughts:
·
It is important
to note that PLATIO blocks are not a perfect solution. They do have some
drawbacks, such as the fact that they may not be suitable for all types of
roads and climates. However, the potential benefits of PLATIO blocks outweigh
the drawbacks.
·
It is also
important to note that PLATIO blocks are not a new technology. They have been
used in road construction in a number of countries, including India. However,
the use of PLATIO blocks is still in its early stages. More research and
development is needed to improve the technology and make it more affordable and
widely available.
Overall, I believe that
your suggestion is desirable and technically feasible.
It has the potential to address two
major problems: plastic waste and the need for better roads.
I
encourage you to continue to pursue this idea and to work with others to develop a practical and sustainable way to
implement it.