India has used waste plastic mixed with bitumen to build a section of a national highway for the first time. The pilot project, led by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under Nitin Gadkari, was carried out on NH-44 in Jhansi.
The project aims to find a useful way to manage plastic waste while reducing the country’s dependence on imported bitumen. Officials involved in the project said the new technology could reduce the use of conventional bitumen by around 4%. The modified bitumen could also cost about 20% less than conventional bitumen.
New Technology Developed by IIT BHU
The technology used to produce Waste Plastic Modified Bitumen, known as W-PMB 76-10, was developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University (IIT BHU), Varanasi.
The research was carried out under a programme funded by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. IIT BHU will monitor the pilot section on NH-44 to study its long-term performance and understand how suitable the technology is for wider road construction.
India generates around 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day. Until now, waste plastic was mainly used in road construction through a dry-mix method. In this process, plastic is mixed with aggregates before the bituminous layer is laid.
The new wet-process technology works differently. Treated waste plastic is mixed directly with bitumen before it is used for road construction. This makes the Jhansi project the first pilot application of this method on a national highway.
How Waste Plastic Is Used
The process uses low-density polyethylene, or LDPE, which is a lightweight and flexible type of plastic made from petroleum. The waste LDPE used in the process can come from items such as discarded irrigation pipes, waste files and plastic folders.
Local recyclers and MSMEs are involved in processing the waste plastic. This creates a connection between local waste management and infrastructure development.
Officials said laboratory tests showed that LDPE-modified bitumen can provide better resistance to moisture damage and improved resistance to rutting at high temperatures. The modified bitumen also increases the stiffness and high-temperature performance of asphalt.
These properties can help roads handle heavy traffic, high axle loads and extreme temperatures more effectively.
The technology has also recently received a patent. Its performance on the Jhansi highway section will be monitored to understand its durability and engineering performance over time.
Focus on Sustainable Infrastructure
India is increasingly exploring alternative and sustainable solutions in infrastructure and transportation. The use of waste plastic in road construction is one such effort, as it combines waste management with the development of road infrastructure.
The government is also promoting alternative fuels to reduce dependence on imported petroleum.
Following the introduction of E20 petrol, attention is now moving towards flex-fuel vehicles that can operate on higher ethanol blends, including E100.
Nitin Gadkari Highlights Ethanol
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has also spoken about the potential of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
At an event where he and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated a new public bus service in the state, Gadkari said ethanol production could increase farmers’ income while helping India reduce its dependence on imported petroleum.
He pointed to the increase in maize prices following the expansion of ethanol production. According to Gadkari, maize prices increased from around ₹1,200 per quintal to about ₹2,600 per quintal as demand from the ethanol industry grew.
Gadkari described farmers as both food providers and energy providers because agricultural products can now be used for fuel production.
He also said flex-fuel engines capable of running fully on ethanol are being developed and that vehicles using this technology would be introduced.
Reducing Fuel Import Dependence
Gadkari has repeatedly highlighted the need for India to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum. He said the country currently imports petroleum worth around ₹22 lakh crore.
According to him, greater use of ethanol, electricity, hydrogen and other alternative energy sources could help reduce fuel imports and pollution.
The use of waste plastic in road construction and the promotion of alternative fuels are part of India’s wider efforts to find domestic and more sustainable solutions for infrastructure, transportation and energy.
The Jhansi pilot project will provide further data on how waste plastic modified bitumen performs on national highways. If the results remain positive over the long term, the technology could offer another option for road construction while creating a productive use for plastic waste.
