The Government of Pakistan has taken a decision to inaugurate its first plastic road in Islamabad. The length of the road is one kilometre on Ataturk Avenue. The project is led by Coca Cola company in a joint corporation with Capital Development Authority (CDA) and National Incubation Centre (NIC). Around 8 tons of plastic is mixed with construction material for re-carpeting the road with the aim to create an expandable solution for plastic to be used in high-value production. This road will prove to be a model project in durability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness.
The main objective of this project is to protect the environment from the harmful effects of plastic. The non-decomposable feature of plastic adversely affects the ecosystem and causes global warming. It sticks around in the environment for ages, frightening wild-life and spreading toxins. Burning of plastic releases climate wrecking-gases and toxic air pollution. Pakistan produces an estimated 3.9 million tonnes of plastic and around 70% of this plastic waste (2.6 million tonnes) is mismanaged, left to landfills, unmanaged dumps, or strewn about land and water bodies across the country.
This road provides a breakthrough solution to bring back plastic waste into the productive economy and build a community around the idea and the innovation itself. This step is not the end but a start to Pakistan’s road to sustainable development.
Leave a Reply