The Nitin Gadkari-led Road Transport Ministry has achieved a first for India's road sector by using waste plastic in a wet mix with bitumen to construct a bituminous stretch of a national highway. According to reports from The Times of India, a pilot test section was laid recently along the main carriageway of NH-44 in Jhansi. This marks the first such pilot project on a national highway, using treated waste plastic blended directly with bitumen before laying, moving beyond the previously limited dry-mix process.
The technology could deliver significant cost savings and environmental benefits for India's road construction sector. As reported by The Times of India, the modified bitumen could be about 20% cheaper than conventional bitumen, while the technology could lower the consumption of conventional bitumen by around 4%. This reduction in bitumen demand is particularly significant as India largely imports the material to meet domestic needs. The process uses low-density polyethylene (LDPE), including discarded irrigation pipes, waste files and plastic folders, with local recyclers and MSMEs processing the material.
According to officials cited by The Times of India, laboratory evaluations have shown that LDPE-modified bitumen provides better resistance to moisture damage and greater resistance to rutting at high temperatures. The modified binder increases the stiffness and high-temperature performance of asphalt, helping pavements withstand permanent deformation under heavy traffic loads and extreme temperatures. IIT (BHU), Varanasi, developed the waste plastic wet-process technology as part of a research programme funded by the ministry of road transport and highways, with the technology recently receiving a patent.
The initiative addresses India's substantial waste plastic challenge while supporting infrastructure development. As reported by The Times of India, India produces around 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day. The technology provides value-added use of waste plastic through a scientifically controlled process, with IIT (BHU) monitoring the pilot stretch to evaluate its long-term engineering performance and determine its suitability for wider field use. The process uses treated waste plastic from discarded irrigation pipes, waste files and plastic folders, creating opportunities to link local waste recycling with infrastructure development.
The waste plastic bitumen project aligns with India's broader push for sustainable infrastructure alternatives. According to reports from The Times of India, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari recently highlighted ethanol's potential to increase farmers' earnings while reducing India's dependence on imported petroleum. He noted that India currently imports petroleum worth around ₹22 lakh crore, emphasizing the need to reduce dependence on overseas fuel supplies through expanded use of ethanol, electricity, hydrogen and other alternative energy sources. The minister called for wider adoption of alternative fuels and cleaner public transport, stating that 'today, the farmer is not only our 'anna data' (food provider) but also our 'urja data' (energy provider).'
