Plastic roads in Nepal: Nepal’s ‘garbage roads’: Turn plastic waste into roads for cleaner cities | World News

Plastic waste management in Nepal has become the country’s most pressing environmental issue. With the increasing production and use of plastics and insufficient recycling infrastructure in rapidly growing urban areas such as Pokhara and Kathmandu, pollution levels in Nepal have become very high. Therefore, in order to solve this urgent environmental problem, Nepal has started to implement its own road plastic waste utilization program. The idea of ​​recycling many plastic wastes such as noodle packaging, biscuits and so on and using it as road asphalt is revolutionary and helps create an environmentally friendly solution to pollution and road quality issues. However, despite the obvious advantages, there are some disadvantages that cannot be ignored in the long run.

How plastic waste roads are transforming Nepal’s cities

Vehicles in the city of Pokhara now have to cross roads partly built with plastic debris. The project, led by Green Road Waste Management, a local NGO co-founded by Bimal Bastola and his colleagues, believes that low-grade plastics can be used as valuable construction materials rather than being thrown away.According to the project team, approximately two tons of shredded plastic are required for each kilometer of road. Much of the plastic used here includes snack packets, multi-layered food packaging and other materials that cannot be easily recycled using existing technology.Explaining the reason for adopting this technology, Bastola said:“Plastic roads can even use low-grade plastics. We see the potential of these plastics and think there is scope to utilize them as raw materials and asphalt alternatives in road construction.” The shredded plastic is first melted and then applied to road aggregate. Bitumen is then added to produce an asphalt mix. The roads last longer and are more resistant to water damage, according to project staff.

Nepal’s growing urban plastic waste crisis

Nepal has been grappling with solid waste management issues for many years. Rapid urbanization, increased consumption and inadequate recycling processes all contribute to plastic pollution.For example, according to a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Nepal Published articles state that hundreds of tons of plastic waste are dumped every day in urban areas of Nepal. Some point out that this poses risks to ecosystems and even public health and water systems.Another study published in world bank It is pointed out that about 5,000 tons of solid waste is generated in urban areas of Nepal every day. Plastic is one of the most common forms of waste in urban areas.It’s easy to see people posting online about littering and poor waste management. They point out that plastic waste can be seen outside urban centers on roadsides, in rivers and even on mountain trails.

Can plastic roads really make cities cleaner?

Advocates of this approach believe it can solve Nepal’s twin problems of road maintenance and plastic waste. The research titled “Utilization of plastic waste in road construction” Akendra Budha, a research scholar at the Nepal Institute of Information Technology, describes this practice as:“This is a low-hanging fruit that will help solve two problems at once – building strong roads and managing plastic waste.”Many countries, such as India, Bangladesh and even the Netherlands, have already started experimenting with the same technology. According to reports, in India alone, thousands of kilometers of roads have been constructed using this technology.Environmental experts stress, however, that the issue requires much more research. Valerie Hickey of the World Bank’s climate change unit said scientists should study emissions from production processes, the risk of microplastic releases and road degradation processes.Despite this, the Nepalese government is continuing with the practice and plans to test it in Kathmandu.

the future sustainable road construction in nepal

Nepal’s experience trying to build roads out of plastic is just another step in rethinking waste. While this innovation won’t necessarily solve all of Nepal’s plastic pollution problems, it illustrates how waste can be effectively used to build new infrastructure.In addition, Nepali authorities’ attempts to use plastic waste to build environmentally friendly infrastructure have also received positive reviews from the public, who hope that Nepal’s streets will soon become cleaner. Once proven successful, the project could provide a good example for other developing countries facing problems with plastic pollution and urban waste.