BIAL receives 11 tonnes of waste plastic for polymerised roads trials

August 26, 2019: After banning single use plastic, the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BIAL) has received approximately 11 tonnes of waste plastic from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for sustainable practices. BLR Airport will use this plastic to conduct trials that would enable it to pave the roads within the Airport campus.

Worshipful BBMP mayor Gagambike Mallikarjun handed over the plastic to a team from BIAL in the presence of BBMP commissioner, N Manjunath Prasad, IAS; D Randeep, IAS, special commissioner – solid waste management, BBMP and Ravikumar Surpur, IAS, special commissioner - health, BBMP.

BIAL will need over 50 tonnes of plastic to pave approximately a 50-lane-km of internal roads.

BIAL recently conducted laboratory tests by blending plastic with bitumen and the results were in the acceptable limits. The polymerised road has strong binding ability that can withstand extreme weather conditions and as compared to asphalt. While asphalt roads are expected to last for about three years, roads with plastic as an add-on aggregate have a longevity of twice that duration.

The solution of polymerised roads is ecologically friendly, that will also help in reducing the carbon footprint.