In 2019, Los Angeles announced a test of a road mix of old asphalt and plastic bottles to repave without new asphalt

The use of recycled PET in asphalt could enhance road durability and cut carbon emissions by 26.2%. (AI-generated/ChatGPT)

A plastic water bottle takes a few seconds to use and a long time to break down. A 2021 review in Sustainability by researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia and Misurata University notes that PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the plastic used in drink bottles, is not biodegradable and is a real environmental hazard. So what do you … Read more

Athens is transforming its old airport into Europe’s second-largest city park, with 70% green cover, on-site wastewater treatment and furniture made from demolished airport concrete and asphalt

Athens is transforming its old airport into Europe's second-largest city park, with 70% green cover, on-site wastewater treatment and furniture made from demolished airport concrete and asphalt

A former airport in Athens is now the site of one of the continent’s most ambitious urban greening projects. Called the Ellinikon Park, the planned project will not only add an unforgettable attraction to the city but also provide a shaded refuge for residents of the continent’s hottest city. The park will stretch over 400 … Read more

In 2019, Britain laid tyre-rubber asphalt on the M1; after successful trials, it won UK industry approval in 2021, with up to 750 waste tyres reusable per kilometre

In 2019, Britain laid tyre-rubber asphalt on the M1; after successful trials, it won UK industry approval in 2021, with up to 750 waste tyres reusable per kilometre

Britain began testing an unusual solution to its mounting tyre waste in 2019, when Highways England and construction company Tarmac laid a road surface containing recycled tyre rubber on the M1 near Leicester, according to a UK government press release published that August. The trial tested whether granulated rubber from waste tyres could be incorporated … Read more

In 1997, Texas mixed discarded roofing shingles into two 1,000-foot Highway 31 test sections; years later, officials said their performance was comparable to conventional asphalt

In 1997, Texas mixed discarded roofing shingles into two 1,000-foot Highway 31 test sections; years later, officials said their performance was comparable to conventional asphalt

Highway engineers in Texas have shown that discarded household roofing shingles can be recycled into durable road surfaces that perform as well as standard asphalt after years of heavy traffic. In 1997, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) built two 1,000-foot test sections along State Highway 31 in the Dallas District using hot mix asphalt … Read more