<p>Mangaluru: In a sustainable initiative aimed at reusing plastic waste productively, plastic collected from various gram panchayats and segregated at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at Kedambadi in Puttur has been used to lay an approach road to the MRF at Bolodi in Kedambadi.</p><p>The 105-metre-long and 5.5-metre-wide road, constructed using plastic-mixed bitumen, has drawn attention as a step in waste management.</p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Puttur and Kadaba Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Naveen Kumar Bhandary said the road was laid with a grant of Rs 15 lakh from the Taluk Panchayat. A notable feature is the use of processed plastic mixed with bitumen, with approximately 8 per cent plastic added to the mix. Compared to conventional roads, plastic-mixed roads are more durable and better able to withstand heavy rainfall and heavy vehicular pressure. The initiative has also provided a solution for plastic waste disposal, which would otherwise be sent to recycling units.</p>.Mangaluru retired teachers demand rectification of anomalies in pension revision .<p>The MRF at Kedambadi has the capacity to process around seven tonnes of dry waste per day. It collects dry waste from various gram panchayats in Puttur, Kadaba, and Sullia taluks for processing and segregation. Plastic waste is segregated and converted into bundles using machines before being sent for recycling.</p><p>It is said that using plastic with bitumen helps save up to 10 per cent of bitumen. Waste plastic is shredded into small pieces, heated to around 165–170°C, and mixed with bitumen.</p><p>About one tonne of plastic waste is used for the road asphalting. For one kilometre of road, instead of 10 tonnes of bitumen, nine tonnes of bitumen and one tonne of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic can be used.</p><p>In fact, about five years ago, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 10 km of trial roads were laid using LDPE plastic at five locations in Udupi.</p><p>In 2025, about 170 tonnes of plastic waste collected from various gram panchayats in the district were used to construct 50 km of service roads from Talapady to Nanthoor and from Surathkal to Sasthana. Earlier, on a pilot basis during a workshop for nodal officers at the Ujire MRF, a 100-metre road was laid using plastic mixed with bitumen.</p>
<p>Mangaluru: In a sustainable initiative aimed at reusing plastic waste productively, plastic collected from various gram panchayats and segregated at the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) at Kedambadi in Puttur has been used to lay an approach road to the MRF at Bolodi in Kedambadi.</p><p>The 105-metre-long and 5.5-metre-wide road, constructed using plastic-mixed bitumen, has drawn attention as a step in waste management.</p><p>Speaking to <em>DH</em>, Puttur and Kadaba Taluk Panchayat Executive Officer Naveen Kumar Bhandary said the road was laid with a grant of Rs 15 lakh from the Taluk Panchayat. A notable feature is the use of processed plastic mixed with bitumen, with approximately 8 per cent plastic added to the mix. Compared to conventional roads, plastic-mixed roads are more durable and better able to withstand heavy rainfall and heavy vehicular pressure. The initiative has also provided a solution for plastic waste disposal, which would otherwise be sent to recycling units.</p>.Mangaluru retired teachers demand rectification of anomalies in pension revision .<p>The MRF at Kedambadi has the capacity to process around seven tonnes of dry waste per day. It collects dry waste from various gram panchayats in Puttur, Kadaba, and Sullia taluks for processing and segregation. Plastic waste is segregated and converted into bundles using machines before being sent for recycling.</p><p>It is said that using plastic with bitumen helps save up to 10 per cent of bitumen. Waste plastic is shredded into small pieces, heated to around 165–170°C, and mixed with bitumen.</p><p>About one tonne of plastic waste is used for the road asphalting. For one kilometre of road, instead of 10 tonnes of bitumen, nine tonnes of bitumen and one tonne of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic can be used.</p><p>In fact, about five years ago, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 10 km of trial roads were laid using LDPE plastic at five locations in Udupi.</p><p>In 2025, about 170 tonnes of plastic waste collected from various gram panchayats in the district were used to construct 50 km of service roads from Talapady to Nanthoor and from Surathkal to Sasthana. Earlier, on a pilot basis during a workshop for nodal officers at the Ujire MRF, a 100-metre road was laid using plastic mixed with bitumen.</p>