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A Comprehensive Review of Applications and Environmental Risks of Waste Plastics in Asphalt Pavements
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This comprehensive review examined the use of waste plastics (PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET) as asphalt modifiers, covering modification mechanisms, incorporation techniques (wet and dry processes), and environmental risks. While waste-plastic asphalt can improve high-temperature stability and reduce landfill disposal, microplastic shedding from pavement wear remains an unresolved environmental hazard.
The global plastic crisis has generated significant interest in repurposing waste plastics as asphalt modifiers, presenting both environmental and engineering advantages. This study offers a comprehensive review of the applications of waste plastics in asphalt, focusing on their types, modification mechanisms, incorporation techniques, and environmental impacts, alongside proposed mitigation strategies. Commonly utilized plastics include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), each affecting asphalt performance differently-enhancing high-temperature stability and fatigue resistance while exhibiting varying levels of compatibility and environmental risks. The incorporation techniques, namely wet and dry processes, differ in terms of efficiency, cost, and environmental footprint: the wet process enhances durability but requires more energy, whereas the dry process is more cost-effective but may lead to uneven dispersion. Environmental concerns associated with these practices include toxic emissions (such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds) during production, microplastic generation through abrasion and weathering, and ecological contamination of soil and water. Mitigation strategies encompass optimizing plastic selection, improving pre-treatment and compatibilization methods, controlling high-temperature processing, and monitoring the spread of microplastics. This review highlights the need for balanced adoption of waste plastic-modified asphalt, emphasizing sustainable practices to maximize benefits while minimizing risks.
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Incorporation of E-Waste Plastics into Asphalt: A Review of the Materials, Methods, and Impacts
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This review examined the use of e-waste plastics (from discarded electronics) as modifiers in asphalt pavement, covering recycling approaches, compatibility challenges, and performance outcomes. While e-waste plastics can improve some asphalt properties, their chemical complexity and potential to leach microplastics during pavement wear remain concerns.
Performance and environmental impacts of waste plastic-modified asphalt pavement: a comprehensive review
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This review examined recent research on using waste plastic to modify asphalt pavement and found that it generally improves road durability while reducing harmful emissions during production. However, challenges remain around plastic-bitumen compatibility and potential microplastic release during the pavement's lifetime, and the authors call for more standardized environmental assessments to ensure the approach is truly sustainable.
Plastic-Waste-Modified Asphalt for Sustainable Road Infrastructure: A Comprehensive Review
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This review provides a comprehensive analysis of using waste plastics to modify asphalt for road construction, covering six major plastic types and both wet and dry processing methods. The study evaluated 42 peer-reviewed studies and found that integrating waste plastics into asphalt can enhance pavement performance while promoting circular economy principles, though environmental considerations such as microplastic release need further assessment.
Waste Polypropylene in Asphalt Pavements: A State-of-the-Art Review Toward Circular Economy
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Waste polypropylene, comprising roughly 19% of global plastic waste, can be successfully recycled into asphalt pavement materials, significantly improving high-temperature rutting resistance and enabling warm-mix applications via thermo-chemical modification. This review bridges molecular-level polymer design with field performance, offering a viable circular economy pathway for a major plastic waste fraction.
A systematic review on sustainable utilization of plastic waste in asphalt: assessing environmental and health impact, performance, and economic viability
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Researchers systematically reviewed plastic-modified asphalt, finding that while recycled plastic waste can improve road performance in some cases, it also poses environmental health risks through microplastic release, carcinogenic compound emissions, and volatile organic compound off-gassing, with cost-effectiveness varying widely by plastic type and processing method.
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