Netherlands builds the first PlasticRoad

Three industry giants are joining forces to make the PlasticRoad, a road made of 100% recycled plastic from the ocean, becomes a reality. KWS, in collaboration with Wavin and Total combined their knowledge, experience, and resources to build the first road made from 100% recycled plastic.

The 'cycle' path to the PlasticRoadThe first pilot project will be a 30-meter-long cycle path made of hollow prefabricated elements enabling water drainage and laying down of cables and pipes. The PlasticRoad partners KWS, Wavin and Total have worked extensively on the development and testing of the concept to validate and optimise performance such as the load-bearing capacity of the modular elements, and the appropriate blends of recycled plastic and the three-dimensional design of the road itself. In addition, research focused on reduced environmental impact has been carried out. The positive results achieved to date support moving forward to make the first pilot project reality.

After an extensive period of design, testing and development, we are delighted that the PlasticRoad is becoming a reality. Together with the municipality of Zwolle and the province of Overijssel, we as PlasticRoad partners are taking steps towards a more sustainable world with this first PlasticRoad cycle path. Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma , inventors of the PlasticRoad and KWS employees

The brainchild

The PlasticRoad concept was conceived by VolkerWessels' enterprise, KWS, the largest road construction company in the Netherlands. After observing the road network build and maintenance-related issues faced by urban areas, the idea of a road made from 100% recycled plastic waste made complete sense. To accomplish this sustainable feat and develop a PlasticRoad prototype, three industry giants (KWS, Wavin and Total) have joined forces. Wavin, who is a world leader in recycled plastic pipe systems, along with oil and gas company Total, provide the perfect combination of knowledge, expertise and experience to align with KWS in this ground-breaking endeavour. The plastic road is a sustainable alternative to traditional paved and asphalt roads.

Why the PlasticRoad ?

A few facts....

With the PlasticRoad, we will bring plastic waste back into the chain, thus reducing the environmental impacts of building and maintaining a road. The concept of PlasticRoad is completely in sync with environmental initiatives like Cradle to Cradle (C2C) and The Ocean Cleanup. Plastic from the ocean is recycled and made into prefabricated road parts that can be installed in one piece – making the installation easy, quick and lightweight. It also alleviates the continuous issues linked to asphalt and paved roads: erosion, weeds, potholes, surface flooding, surface heating, and noise.

The PlasticRoad is:

There are an estimated 40 million kilometres of road worldwide . The potential of the recycling and re-use of plastic in roads is huge.

This is a really solid way of reusing plastic. Katinka Von Der Lippe , INDEX Award Jury Member and Strategic Designer & Manager at Eker Design Hydrolift

Next steps for the PlasticRoad

Wavin is excited to be an integral part of this project and delighted to be working alongside KWS and Total. We will certainly keep you posted with the results of the installation.

In the UK, we are leading the debate on what the future of drainage could be, as we know that more can be done to tackle urban drainage and flood issues. Wavin recently developed three concepts with a team of graduate engineers. Watch the concepts they came up with:

Here's to a greener future for road technology and urban drainage management! The plastic road is a sustainable alternative to traditional paved and asphalt roads.

The partnership

Royal VolkerWessels designs, builds, maintains, manages and operates infrastructure. From specialisms such as earthwork, sewerage and hydraulic engineering to small-scale work for local authorities and private individuals. As a market leader in road construction and asphalt production, the company also works on extensive multidisciplinary projects in which they realise the complete infrastructure. For more information, visit www.kws.nl. Wavin is a leading supplier of plastic pipe systems and solutions. As one of the longest-established names in the market, Wavin built its reputation on over 60 years of high quality and innovation. Wavin connects customers to better solutions for above and below-ground projects in the following application areas: water management, heating and cooling, water distribution and waste water drainage. Wavin's European headquarters are in Zwolle, the Netherlands and the company has a presence in more than 25 countries with 30 manufacturing sites. Total is a global integrated energy producer and provider, a leading international oil and gas company, a major player in low-carbon energies. With 98,000 employees committed to making better energy that is safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative and accessible to as many people as possible. As responsible corporate citizens, they focus on ensuring that their operations in more than 130 countries worldwide consistently deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. For more information, visit www.total.com.