Utilization of commodity plastic wastes in flexible pavement: A review

Abstract

Plastics are not inherently bad, as it is what we do and what we do not do after use that really counts. Plastics are pleasant to the eye, light in weight, sleek to the touch, currently indispensable, relatively cheap and sustainable with good use. Because of these desirable properties, the use, demand and production of plastic goods for various applications are on a steady rise. Consequently, the volume of the corresponding waste is also on the rise due to the non-biodegradable nature of these petroleum-based plastics. Mechanical recycling, which is the widely employed recycling route, is not holistic because it only delays the time for the waste plastics to get to the dump site and litter the environment. The use of waste plastics in bituminous mixtures for road construction is an emerging sustainable route for most types of commodity plastic wastes. This paper reviews the progress, techniques, suitability and possible health and environmental risks of waste plastics for a flexible pavement system. SWOT analysis to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of plastic waste utilization in bituminous mix was also conducted and is reported here.

Keywords

• plastic waste
• bitumen
• aggregates
• plastic-modified bitumen
• plastic-coated aggregates
• toxic fumes