Segregated plastic waste could help build sturdy roads. By Rakesh Agrawal
The modern human sits on the pile of garbage, thanks to the modern lifestyle that generate immense amount of non-biodegradable waste like plastic, thermo coal, metal and paper and Delhi, the capital of India produces so much waste that Ghazipur, on its eastern flank, is the largest garbage dump of north India, (See: Largest garbage dump in north India – Ghazipur – YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTcMJ0JQYqw).
It is 50 feet tall and steadily growing and the residents living in nearby colonies like Anand Vihar and Kaushambi have to bear the emissions, groundwater contamination and the stench from this landfill that they have submitted a petition to the National Green Tribunal to remove it.
This landfill started in 1984 is spread across 70 acres, having at least 12 million tons of waste. The good news is that the scientists of Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) have joined hands with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to utilize the solid waste from Ghazipur in the construction of Delhi-Meerut Expressway that will put this seemingly waste material into a great use. First, it will dry the solid waste and pass through different sieves that will separate plastic, glass, metal and paper from this waste and the rest will be used to lay the foundation of this Expressway.
The percentage passing from the 16 mm sieve contains 44 to 48 percent of municipal solid waste which can be directly used in embankment construction. For utilizing the municipal solid waste passing through 32 mm sieve, the segregation of plastic material and PVC etc. will have to be blown by using high capacity blowers at the segregation plant.
Elsewhere in the country, plastic waste is being used to make roads as in Jamshedpur where the Jamshedpur Utility and Services Company, a subsidiary company of Tata Steel, using bitumen technology, their scientists used waste plastic, including biscuit packets, poly bags, etc. to construct 12-15 km roads in the steel city and widened 22 roads using this environmentally-friendly technology.
Bitumen, also commonly known as Asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. The primary use of bitumen is in road construction where it is used as the glue or binder mixed with aggregate particles to create asphalt concrete.
This technology was also used in Dehradun where plastic wastes were used to build 200 m long road on an experimental basis and this road proved to be a sturdy, long lasting that withstood its massive rains, so the authorities took the decision to use this technology more often.
Technology is really a double-edged sword as while it made the modern living a waste generating civilization, it is also paving ways to utilize this waste in a fruitful manner. It is up to us how to use this sword!