Plastics Industry Association, LyondellBasell collaborate on first paving project using recycled plastic

The parking lot at LyondellBasell’s Cincinnati Technology Center using recycled polyethylene.

The U.S.-based Plastics Industry Association has collaborated with Dutch multinational chemical company LyondellBasell to use the use of the equivalent of 71,000 plastic retail bags to pave 2,885 square yards of the LyondellBasell Cincinnati Technology Center parking lot in Ohio using recycled polyethylene (rPE).

This was the first installation of the New End Market Opportunities (NEMO) for Film Asphalt Project which added over 4,000 pounds of rPE into hot asphalt. With a focus on extending the life of plastic waste, this research project if successful, could be used in paving a future parking lot using 20,000 pounds of rPE or 1.5 million plastic bags.

“LyondellBasell is a proud member of [Plastics Industry Association] and we have the opportunity to collaborate on innovative projects often in order to advance recycling and sustainability, not only in the U.S. but around the globe,” said Tony Radoszewski, president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. “Through this unique project, the LyondellBasell team demonstrates how all plastic can and should be used to its highest potential.”

In early June, the Plastics Industry Association completed research on a new formulation of asphalt binder using the “dry process”, in which recycled rPE is incorporated as a solid additive during the asphalt mixture manufacturing process. “The formulation offers many of the same benefits of traditional polymer-modified asphalt, including improved performance, and increased lifespan, at a decreased cost,” the association said.

LyondellBasell partnered with Colas Solutions, the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), and Barrett Paving Materials Inc. to bring the repaving project to fruition – Colas Solutions identified an rPE supplier, Domino Plastics; formulated an rPE modified asphalt mixture based on advanced performance testing methods; and then coordinated production and paving with sister company Barrett Paving.