We carried out this pilot project to test the functioning of the construction of roads made with a mixture of asphalt and recycled plastic. Approximately 6 metric tons of plastic were needed for every 500 m of road.

We carried out a pilot on two roads: one in Vacamonte and the other in Chiriqui. In November 2018, approximately 500 meters of road were paved in Vacamonte, Arraiján. In every 200m of this road, 1% and 2% of one of the components of the mix to build the road were replaced. In February 2019, the construction of the second road was carried out in San Carlos, Chiriquí, in which 600m of road was constructed. Of the 600 m of asphalt poured, between 1.5% and 3% of one of the components of the asphalt mix was replaced.

Replacing 1% of the aggregate in the mix is equivalent to using approximately 13,000 plastic bottles and replacing 2% equals approximately 19,500 plastic bottles.

This project helped reduce the amounts of plastic accumulated in landfills, using it to build something productive and functional for society. In the same way, it served as a guide for Bill 687, which establishes the use of recyclable materials in the construction of asphalt roads.