PUNE: The civic body will resume using plastic for road construction, nearly three years after it was last used.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)' road department, in association with the solid waste management department, have planned to revive the project. "We are in talks with various authorities and firms for this initiative. Clean polythene is needed for this project. It would be sourced," said V G Kulkarni, the head of PMC's road department.
According to PMC officials, granulated plastic is needed to add to the tar. A special shredder, needed for it, has not been procured. Private firms would be roped in to get the plastic, an official said.
Aniruddha Pawaskar, former head of PMC's road department, said corporate social responsibility funds were used to promote this initiative around three years ago. It could be replicated, he said.
"The use of eco-friendly methods for road construction is a welcome sign. But the civic administration should make sure that they keep their basics correct. Many road works are carried out without proper guidelines. The norms set for good road construction should be followed," said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch, a group of citizens.
Some municipal corporations, like Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have made plastic reuse mandatory for road construction. PMC's data shows that plastic in different forms is almost 5% of the municipal solid waste. It has been termed as a significant environmental hazard because it is not easily biodegradable.
Experts claimed that waste plastic had a high potential for use in bituminous construction. Addition of plastic in small doses, about 5-10% by weight of bitumen, improves the stability, strength, fatigue life and other desirable properties of bituminous mix. It leads to improved longevity and pavement performance.
According to experts, around 4kg to 6kg of plastic is used for around 100kg of bitumen. The material, known in the industry as polymer modified bitumen 40 (PMB 40), is made with standard bitumen mixed with polymers. A majority of the material is standard bitumen, strengthened with a 10% proportion of polymers obtained from treated disposed plastic.
