Plastic waste is increasingly being used in road construction. In South Africa, researchers tested asphalt containing recycled plastic on a section of the M7/P82 near Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, a route where slow-moving heavy vehicles place considerable stress on the pavement. According to the Transportation Research Board , the trial was designed to answer a practical question: could waste plastic be incorporated into asphalt without compromising the road's performance under demanding traffic? The early answer was encouraging. The two experimental sections were assessed on two occasions a year apart, with checks covering surface condition, riding quality, rutting, texture and structural behaviour. Both were reported to be performing well despite substantial heavy-vehicle traffic.
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