14/07/2026
The Netherlands created a new kind of road made from recycled plastic bottles instead of regular asphalt.
In 2018, the city of Zwolle installed the world’s first PlasticRoad pilot. It was made from 100% recycled plastic and designed in modular pieces that can snap together in a way similar to Lego blocks.
Because the sections are made in a factory before installation, the road can be placed much faster than a traditional road. Work that could take weeks with asphalt can be finished in only hours.
The road also has a hollow space inside. This space can carry cables, pipes, sensors, and drainage systems, which means the road can work as smart infrastructure instead of just a surface for vehicles.
Independent testing found that these plastic road sections can handle about twice the weight of asphalt. Tests also showed that they resist cracking during freeze-thaw cycles, which is one reason they may last much longer than standard roads.
One kilometer of this kind of road can use around 1 million recycled plastic bottles. That gives waste plastic a practical new purpose and helps keep it out of landfills and oceans.
The company behind the concept, VolkerWessels, has said plastic roads could eventually replace asphalt in many places around the world. The idea shows that roads do not always have to be black, cracked, and rebuilt every few years.
By changing the material and the structure, engineers turned a simple road into something cleaner, faster to build, and potentially more durable.
