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Discarded Toner Transforms California Highways
9 Oct
Summary
- Asphalt with recycled printer toner plastic was tested on California highway.
- Thousands of heavy trucks traversed the section without cracking or rutting.
- The plastic-modified asphalt showed resilience even after flooding.
In 2022, a section of State Route 99 in Elk Grove, California, underwent testing with a novel asphalt mixture containing recycled plastic derived from discarded printer toner cartridges. The project, which involved a 500-foot stretch of highway, was a collaboration between Granite Construction and researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno.
The modified asphalt, incorporating 10% recycled plastic by binder weight, successfully withstood extensive traffic, including thousands of heavy trucks. Despite experiencing extreme temperatures and even flooding from a winter atmospheric-river storm, the pavement maintained its integrity without visible cracking or rutting.
Laboratory analysis indicated increased stiffness and viscosity in the modified binder, properties that could enhance resistance to deformation. While early results are promising, further long-term testing is ongoing to fully assess the material's durability. The project also estimates a potential reduction in global warming potential by at least 5% compared to conventional asphalt mixtures.
