Pakistan’s first plastic road project kicks off under ‘World Without Plastic’ programme

Islamabad: A number of private enterprises in collaboration with Capital Development Authority (CDA) have launched a mega project of re-carpeting national roads under the “World Without Plastic” programme.

A prominent road in Islamabad, Ataturk Avenue, has been identified for re-carpeting and according to experts, eight tons of used plastic (PET bottles) will be mixed with road constructing material for re-carpeting the road.

The project allows the use of recycled PET waste to be part of a circular plastic economy and have a considerably positive impact on the environment.

‘First time in Pakistan’

Whereas this new technology has been used before globally, including in South Asia, it is the first time Pakistan is adopting it under a public-private partnership.

‘Besides being an environment-friendly project, the road will also be a model project in durability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness,” it was said.

The roads re-carpeted with plastic last almost twice as long and are 51 per cent stronger.

Coca-Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan has partnered with Capital Development Authority (CDA) and TeamUp / National Incubation Centre (NIC) to work towards creating a World Without Waste.

‘Locally introduced concept’

This mega-project involves locally introducing the concept of re-carpeting national roads with plastic waste.

This public-private partnership was finalised at an MoU signing ceremony held at the TeamUp / NIC offices in Islamabad.

Rana Shakeel Asghar Member Finance & Environment CDA on behalf of the civic agency signed the MoU. “We believe in a clean and green Pakistan, but we also believe in working with each other to create results,” he said.

Later, the environmental experts and government officials discussed and debated the project. Fahad Ashraf, VP and General Manager of Coca-Cola Pakistan-Afghanistan said, “This idea provides a breakthrough solution to bring back plastic waste into the productive economy. And we also want to focus on building a community around the idea and the innovation itself.”

For any concept to be applied and adopted, the people must first believe in it. And it needs to make social and commercial sense, he said.

Parvez Abbasi representing the strategic leadership of the TeamUp/NIC added, “We were keen to lead this because most of the startups and projects here are guided by the Sustainable Development Goals.”