IndianOil launches drive to turn plastic waste into bitumen

New Delhi: Country’s largest PSU oil refiner and retailer Indian Oil Corporation has taken up various initiatives to support the government’s drive to eliminate single-use plastic by converting these toxic wastes to productive use.
These initiatives were launched to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi and as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
The company will use its refinery operations to convert the single-use plastic waste into a specialized bitumen that can be used for the construction of roads and highways.
A pilot project has been done at Faridabad via the creation of a “Single Use Waste Plastic” based bituminous road. The company will commercially supply the specialized bitumen for use in road construction going ahead.
“Performance of this road will be monitored by IndianOil R&D center in association with CSIR-CRRI, and also fine-tune the concentration of single-use plastic to be added,” the company said in a statement.
Among other initiatives, the petrochemical major has developed special grade crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB55) which has been designed using waste single-use plastic material.