Filipino multinational company San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has announced that it has just laid out the first recycled plastics road in the country.
SMC, named by Forbes Asia as a Best-Over-A-Billion company in the Asia-Pacific Region, revealed that asphalt using plastics were laid on a 1,500-square meter pilot test site at a new logistics center in General Trias, Cavite.
The test site was chosen, SMC said, as it will be used primarily as a marshaling area for trucks with heavy loads, including 18-wheelers and heavy equipment.
About 900 kilos of plastic waste, which is equivalent to about 180,000 sachets and plastic bags, were used for the test site.
“What we want to achieve is to help address an important environmental issue, and that is plastic wastes. We want to create a sustainable use for waste plastics so that they don’t end up in landfills and our rivers and oceans,” SMC President Ramon Ang said.
Dow Chemical, the global materials science company serving as SMC’s technology partner, explained that the recycled waste plastics act as a binder together with bitumen in the production of asphalt.
Dow said that using recycled plastics in the production process can help make roads last longer and enhance durability compared to conventional asphalt.
They also mentioned that independent lab tests on the asphalt with recycled plastics show that it exceeded the standards of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
SMC said that pending further testing, it can build recycled plastics roads in its facilities as well as major infrastructure projects.
SMC’s new venture reflects the company’s serious commitment with their corporate social responsibility using new and feasible technology.
The recycled plastics road initiative is another major step in the area of sustainability for the homegrown company.
SMC had previously announced that it is adopting the use of biodegradable plastics for food and non-food products.
The company will be utilizing the biodegradable plastics developed by Philippine Bioresins Corp. that can be 64.65% degraded in 24 months as compared to non-biodegradable plastics (4.5% in 24 months).
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Industrial Technology Development Institute gave this innovation an Environmental Technology Verification certificate.
SMC also discontinued its bottled water business a few years ago and has embarked on a move to reduce group-wide non-product water use by 50% by 2025.
SEND congratulations and cheers to San Miguel Corporation for leading the way in corporate initiatives towards sustainable development!
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