Ranchi, Dec. 5: If experts are to be believed, the Centre can save up to Rs 300 crore every year by utilising waste plastic products for the construction of roads.

At a recent seminar ? ?Use of Polymer Waste in Bitumen Road Construction? ? organised by Nav Bharat Jagriti Kendra (NBJK), civil and chemical technical experts said use of plastic waste will not only help cut cost but also enable government officials and NGOs in plastic waste management.

Former head of the department of chemistry at the Tyagrajan University, Vasudevan said one tonne of bitumen costs around Rs 16,000 and it takes about 10 tonnes of bitumen to construct 1 km of road.

?On the other hand, one tonne of plastic waste costs around Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000. If one tonne of plastic waste is mixed with 10 tonnes of bitumen, it saves nearly Rs 11,000 per km. If this process is introduced, the Centre can save Rs 300 crore annually. Besides, it will generate employment for thousands of people who earn their livelihood by collecting plastic,? Vasudevan said.

The participants also discussed various advantages of the process over the use of bitumen. The experts argued that if the method is put to use, it gives the road better binding property and enable it to withstand high temperature.

Administrator of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation Shashi Ranjan Kumar suggested that workers engaged in collecting plastics from different areas should gather the wet and dry plastics separately.

This will help officials to amass a huge amount of plastic scrap, which can be mixed with bitumen.

Director (quality control), road construction department Haridwar Prasad promised to forward the proposal to the department.