Building Roads out of Plastic Waste
26 October 2020
Corporate Communication and Alumni Relations Center (CCARC)
Reusing plastic rubbish as a raw ingredient in another production process is an important environmental opportunity that Chiang Mai University is tackling as part of its commitment to sustainable development and to demonstrate itself as a smart university that utilizes clean energy while maintaining and creating a clean environment.
CMU in collaboration with the Department of High Ways, Department of Rural High Way, Group of DOW Chemical Co. Ltd. Thailand and the Siam Cement Group Co. Ltd. have joined together in the Development of Using Waste Plastic for making concrete asphalt roads.
This project has started in 2017 and waste plastic has been used with asphalt concrete to build a road that has passed various tests A 1 km long road that is 6 meters wide has been built that has used 3 tons of plastic waste or approximately 900,000 plastic bags.
Chiang Mai University aims to be the first university in Thailand to use plastic waste as a raw material and is encouraging the government and private sector to create a new standard for road building which includes the use of plastic waste.