Garut Encourages The Utilization Of Plastic Waste For Road Asphalts
JAKARTA - The use of plastic waste is increasingly becoming the concern of various parties as an innovative solution to reduce environmental pollution while improving the quality of infrastructure.
One form of implementation is the use of plastic waste as a mixture of materials in the construction of asphalt roads. This technology not only helps reduce waste accumulation, but also offers better road resistance and efficiency in maintenance costs.
The government of Garut Regency, West Java, is reviewing the use of plastic waste as a mixture in road construction. This approach is considered more environmentally friendly, durable, and more efficient in the long term compared to conventional asphalt.
According to Gun Gun Sukma Utama, the Head of Infrastructure and Regional Affairs at the Garut Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), this discourse has actually been initiated five years ago. At that time, his party together with the Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) began to develop the concept of using plastic as additional material for asphalt.
As part of the initial study, a team from Garut made visits to several areas that had implemented this technology, such as Magelang and Yogyakarta, including the road to Borobudur Temple which had used plastic asphalt.
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Collaboration with the private sector was also carried out. From 2022 to 2023, Garut collaborated with PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk and the Bakti Barito Foundation to supply plastic needs, as well as apply a special formulation in the construction of roads made from a mixture of plastic waste.
"At that time we received plastic supply support from the partner," said Gun Gun, as quoted by ANTARA.
He added that this initiative was discussed again to expand its implementation in the Garut area, considering the potential benefits of road quality.
Dadan Yudha, Head of Highways at the PUPR Office of Garut Regency, also expressed his support for this project. According to him, roads built with plastic mixtures have proven to last longer and require lower maintenance costs than ordinary asphalt roads.