Continued from page 1
“ESSENTIALLY we will be doing what we have done for years and will be doing till the end of days, which is building roads, just in a more efficient and effective way,” she said.
She said what MacRebur offered, was an enhancement of the asphalt mix traditionally used for the top layer of roads.
“Plastic waste, which ends up in the ocean or clogging up landfill sites, is processed into pellets and used to replace a large component of the bitumen in a conventional asphalt mix.
“It is estimated that up to 1,8 million plastic bags can be used in just one kilometre of road.
“The result is a road that is stronger and more durable. Water, the main cause of potholes, does not penetrate it as easily and it is also more heat resistant.
“The plastic road surface is also cheaper to maintain.”
Hendricks said Kouga was looking forward to the potential benefits of the trial.
“In addition to better roads and reducing plastic pollution, the technology could open up economic opportunities for our communities.
“Should the trial be successful, we would like to see a factory being built to produce the pellets locally.
“This would mean work at the factory, as well as a means for communities to make money by collecting and selling plastic waste.”
He said the trial would be done at no cost to the municipality, with the respective partners set to foot the bill.
