Despite its rather unremarkable appearance, asphalt is a substance that is difficult to enhance. It is cracked by frigid winters, rutted by heavy trucks, and the budget of a road agency is depleted with each pothole repair. According to OECD data used in a 2025 Iowa State University study, only roughly 9% of plastic garbage is successfully recycled, indicating that the globe has its own plastic problem. Some engineers think that by incorporating recycled plastic into the road itself, both problems might be resolved simultaneously. In the Des Moines area, Iowa has been attempting precisely that, and preliminary results from one test stretch are promising.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
