Phase 2 of Africa’s first eco-friendly road – incorporating recycled plastics – has begun, with construction of 1.5km of the Eastern Cape road currently under way.
The first phase of the pilot project in Jeffreys Bay in the Kouga Municipality was completed at the end of last year when a 300m strip of road which incorporated 700kg of recycled waste plastic was opened.
According to Kouga mayor Horatio Hendricks, this innovative approach to road-building reduces the amount of bitumen required for the asphalt mix.
Plastic waste is recycled into pellets using a special formula and then added to the asphalt used for the top layer of the road, replacing a portion of the bitumen.
"The result is a road that is more durable and also friendlier to the environment," said Hendricks.
The project also addresses the issue of waste plastic that would otherwise have gone to a landfill.
About 1.5 tonnes of plastic, the equivalent of 1.8 million single-use bags, is used in just 1km of road.
According to the DA-run council, following the completion of phase two, the focus will shift towards convincing other municipalities and provinces to make use of the same technology. – Liesl Venter
