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Mixing plastics with asphalt has been tried for roads in India for many years now. There is one stretch near where I live which was done 10+ years ago. There is

Mixing plastics with asphalt has been tried for roads in India for many years now. There is one stretch near where I live which was done 10+ years ago. There is an official policy on trying this, as a pilot, for any agency that wishes to use it. See: https://www.prakati.in/use-of-plastic-for-road-construction-in-india/ https://www.prakati.in/use-of-plastic-for-road-construction-... The road which I use occasionally seems reasonably good as roads go. Unless you see the boards informing users about the mixing of plastic you wouldn't know.

lelandfe 4y ago
I think plastic probably makes more sense as a construction material than for roads. Cars are really tough on roads. I have to imagine that plastic in roads would get shredded into microplastics and wind up all over the place.
- at_compile_time 4y ago
  Tires and brakes already do that. This would just do it more.
  - metadat 4y ago
    Not "just". More, more, more microplastics.
    - virtue3 4y ago
      asphalt is already tar/oil anyway, wouldnt make up that much of a difference I'd think.
      - martyvis 4y ago
        If it is an organic compound it is probably going to breakdown in years or decades. (Crude oil spills AFAIK only have a relatively short term impact). Most plastics seem to take centuries before they are back to something that is less noticeable in the environment.
- guelo 4y ago
  Would this be any worse for the environment than the petroleum in asphalt roads?
  - justinator 4y ago
    Or the carbon added to the air. Cars are... not good for the environment.
    - throwaway742 4y ago
      Electric cars powered with renewables solves that problem somewhat.
      - mellavora 4y ago
        Yes, noting the "powered with renewables" aspect. and keeping in mind that any 1 ton plus vehicle is going to take substantial energy to move around (vs, say, an ebike).
        peoplefromibiza 4y ago
        > take substantial energy to move around (vs, say, an ebike). e-bikes are an alternative to cars the same way wheelbarrows are an alternative to trucks. they are different means of transportation, for different purposes. I don't own a car and I try to use cars as less as possible, but every time I need to use one, an e-bike would be useless. When an e-bike could be useful, I can walk or use public transports.
        411111111111111 4y ago
        > they are different means of transportation, for different purposes. Most people I know mainly use their car to get to work and back home. This is a need that could likely be fulfilled by an E-Bike just as well, unless the route is unreasonably long. so while the initial statement is true, the conclusion you drew from it is false -- at least from the perspective of society.
- onion2k 4y ago
  I have to imagine that plastic in roads would get shredded into microplastics and wind up all over the place. Wouldn't that depend on how the plastic is used? Roads are complex engineered objects made up of many parts. Putting plastic in the top layer where it would be subject to wear might not work, but putting it into one or more of the substrate layers could still make the road more durable, recycle the plastic for a second life, and capture it so it doesn't end up in the environment.
  - throwaway742 4y ago
    I think that's assuming the road is properly maintained.
- pajko 4y ago
  Wind blowing sand on the walls and the UV rays do the same with plastic. Rain extracts plasticizers, solvents and adhesives.
suifbwish 4y ago
I recommend reading this in Lucasarts gaming style text: Meanwhile deep in a laboratory somewhere deep in the Caribbean…… several scientists hell bent on solving the landfill problem work frantically on bacteria which are capable of breaking down plastics as their primary food source.
- daniel-cussen 4y ago
  Yeah but then plastic would rot, and it wouldn't be worse at many things.
  - suifbwish 4y ago
    Yea but I don’t think anyone wants their bricks to rot
- eastbound 4y ago
  I imagine solving landfill problems with a plastic bacteria just compounding our problems: A 400m-wide hotpot of bacteria, some of it escaping, people being infected in their house, spreading to a few blocks, kids not playing together “because his toys have the disease”…
  - tryauuum 4y ago
    good opportunity for metal toys
    - ygra 4y ago
      Or wood.
partomniscient 4y ago
Its also what happened to a rather oversupplied underdemanded album by Robbie Williams back in 2008. https://www.contactmusic.com/robbie-williams/news/rudebox-to-pave-chinese-roads_1056430 https://www.contactmusic.com/robbie-williams/news/rudebox-to...
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
t_mann 4y ago
I believed that was actually common practice already, especially near crossings, in order to make the asphalt more elastic, so that it bends under the weight of a standing car and then goes back to its old shape.

lelandfe 4y ago

I think plastic probably makes more sense as a construction material than for roads. Cars are really tough on roads. I have to imagine that plastic in roads would get shredded into microplastics and wind up all over the place.

at_compile_time 4y ago
Tires and brakes already do that. This would just do it more.
- metadat 4y ago
  Not "just". More, more, more microplastics.
  - virtue3 4y ago
    asphalt is already tar/oil anyway, wouldnt make up that much of a difference I'd think.
    - martyvis 4y ago
      If it is an organic compound it is probably going to breakdown in years or decades. (Crude oil spills AFAIK only have a relatively short term impact). Most plastics seem to take centuries before they are back to something that is less noticeable in the environment.
guelo 4y ago
Would this be any worse for the environment than the petroleum in asphalt roads?
- justinator 4y ago
  Or the carbon added to the air. Cars are... not good for the environment.
  - throwaway742 4y ago
    Electric cars powered with renewables solves that problem somewhat.
    - mellavora 4y ago
      Yes, noting the "powered with renewables" aspect. and keeping in mind that any 1 ton plus vehicle is going to take substantial energy to move around (vs, say, an ebike).
      - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
        > take substantial energy to move around (vs, say, an ebike). e-bikes are an alternative to cars the same way wheelbarrows are an alternative to trucks. they are different means of transportation, for different purposes. I don't own a car and I try to use cars as less as possible, but every time I need to use one, an e-bike would be useless. When an e-bike could be useful, I can walk or use public transports.
        411111111111111 4y ago
        > they are different means of transportation, for different purposes. Most people I know mainly use their car to get to work and back home. This is a need that could likely be fulfilled by an E-Bike just as well, unless the route is unreasonably long. so while the initial statement is true, the conclusion you drew from it is false -- at least from the perspective of society.
onion2k 4y ago
I have to imagine that plastic in roads would get shredded into microplastics and wind up all over the place. Wouldn't that depend on how the plastic is used? Roads are complex engineered objects made up of many parts. Putting plastic in the top layer where it would be subject to wear might not work, but putting it into one or more of the substrate layers could still make the road more durable, recycle the plastic for a second life, and capture it so it doesn't end up in the environment.
- throwaway742 4y ago
  I think that's assuming the road is properly maintained.
pajko 4y ago
Wind blowing sand on the walls and the UV rays do the same with plastic. Rain extracts plasticizers, solvents and adhesives.

suifbwish 4y ago

I recommend reading this in Lucasarts gaming style text: Meanwhile deep in a laboratory somewhere deep in the Caribbean…… several scientists hell bent on solving the landfill problem work frantically on bacteria which are capable of breaking down plastics as their primary food source.

daniel-cussen 4y ago
Yeah but then plastic would rot, and it wouldn't be worse at many things.
- suifbwish 4y ago
  Yea but I don’t think anyone wants their bricks to rot
eastbound 4y ago
I imagine solving landfill problems with a plastic bacteria just compounding our problems: A 400m-wide hotpot of bacteria, some of it escaping, people being infected in their house, spreading to a few blocks, kids not playing together “because his toys have the disease”…
- tryauuum 4y ago
  good opportunity for metal toys
  - ygra 4y ago
    Or wood.

partomniscient 4y ago

Its also what happened to a rather oversupplied underdemanded album by Robbie Williams back in 2008. https://www.contactmusic.com/robbie-williams/news/rudebox-to-pave-chinese-roads_1056430 https://www.contactmusic.com/robbie-williams/news/rudebox-to...

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

t_mann 4y ago

I believed that was actually common practice already, especially near crossings, in order to make the asphalt more elastic, so that it bends under the weight of a standing car and then goes back to its old shape.