Roads from plastic: Airports Authority of India finds eco-friendly use for waste

Madurai, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram airports to get roads made using plastic waste in a pilot project.

The next time you travel to Chennai or Thiruvananthapuram airport, chances are you might drive on a road made from plastic waste.

The Airports Authority of India has identified Madurai, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram airports for a unique pilot project where internal roads and those leading to the runway will be made from waste generated at the airport, media reports said.

Reports said Airports Authority of India Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra has approved the pilot. According to a statement, an Airports Authority official said,

The plan is to use the waste plastic in a better way instead of sending it to the dump yard.

Recycled waste will be mixed with bitumen to lay roads. Experts say the technology will ensure that the road made with the waste will not need any maintenance for 15 years. As per the plan, the material will be laid on roads within the airport premises first, and then perimeter roads along the compound walls will be laid. If successful, the technique will then be used for taxiways in the airport.

Officials said that since the Chennai airport generates the highest quantity of plastic waste in the region, this could be a good use case for the project.

In addition to making better use of this waste, the Airports Authority has also announced a ban on single-use items such as straws, and plastic plates etc across 16 airports in the country.

An AAI official tweeted,

Being an environmentally-conscious public sector enterprise, AAI is committed towards its Corporate Social Responsibility and has taken measures to ensure that Terminal Buildings at its 16 Airports across the country are ‘Single-use Plastic-free’ Terminals.

In New Zealand, the Christchurch International Airport has paved its airport's fire station's premises using recycled plastic and bitumen.