Recycling of plastic waste in porous asphalt pavement: Engineering, environmental, and economic implications

With the rapid rise in the number of plastic products, recycling plastic waste has become a crucial challenge worldwide. Recycling plastic waste in asphalt pavement has emerged as an alternative solution to traditional mechanical and chemical recycling methods. However, there has been limited research into the comprehensive exploration of using plastic waste in porous asphalt pavement, an ecologically sustainable and safer form of pavement. This study aims to assess whether recycling plastic in porous asphalt pavement through wet process is a sustainable strategy by analyzing its engineering, environmental, and economic implications. The engineering properties of plastic-porous asphalt pavement, including rutting resistance, moisture sensitivity, abrasion resistance, cracking susceptibility, and fatigue life, were evaluated to verify if this strategy can provide adequate performance and durability. In addition, this study also examines the potential impacts of plastic waste on the aquatic environment due to the crucial significance of water resources. Moreover, a life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) was performed to determine the economic benefits of incorporating plastic waste into porous asphalt pavement. The results indicate that the incorporation of plastic waste can enhance the rutting and stripping resistance of porous asphalt pavement, but excessive use of plastic waste may reduce its abrasion resistance. Furthermore, recycling plastic waste in porous asphalt pavement does not contribute to aquatic environmental pollution, and the appropriate use of plastic waste has the potential to generate economic benefits. Overall, this study proves that recycling plastic waste in porous asphalt pavement is a sustainable engineering solution to address the plastic waste crisis and create a circular economy for plastics.