In a first, waste plastic mixed with bitumen in pilot test section of NH-44

NEW DELHI: In a first for the road sector, govt has used waste plastic as a wet mix with bitumen to lay a bituminous highway stretch, a move that is likely to reduce imports of the key construction material while addressing the growing problem of plastic waste.On Thursday, a pilot test section was laid on the main carriageway of NH-44 in Jhansi. Officials associated with the pilot said the technology has potential to reduce conventional bitumen consumption by around 4%, lowering demand for a material that India largely imports to meet domestic requirements. They added that the modified bitumen could cost around 20% less than conventional bitumen.The waste plastic wet-process technology for producing premium-quality Waste Plastic Modified Bitumen (W-PMB 76-10) has been developed by IIT (BHU), Varanasi, under a research programme funded by the ministry of road transport and highways.