Shell Pakistan builds road with recycled plastic bottles

08 Jul 2024 --- Shell Pakistan has introduced a plastic-infused road in Karachi with recycled lubricant bottles. The oil giant collaborated with start-up Brr Enterprises and the local authority District Municipal Corporation South to construct the road.

Plastic roads offer higher flexibility, durability and a lifespan almost three times longer than regular roads, claims Shell. Moreover, the construction materials for regular roads are more expensive than plastics, reducing construction costs by severalfold. 

The chief executive and managing director of Shell Pakistan, Waqar Siddiqui, inaugurated the newly built road in Karachi and says: “This is the first time we have used our discarded lubricant bottles to make a road and I’m amazed to see the result.”

“This innovative method helps reduce plastic waste and can provide an environmentally friendly option for future infrastructure projects in Pakistan. Innovative solutions such as this need to be tried and tested, and I hope will be adopted to contribute to building a cleaner society.”

Over 2.5 metric tons of Shell lubricant bottles were recycled for the construction of a 730-foot (222-meter) long and 60-foot (19-meter) wide road on which Shell House is located in Karachi. 

The discarded plastic bottles were incorporated in the construction of the asphalt-based road through a dry process method.

According to research, plastic bags can take up to 500 years to decompose, while a plastic bottle can take around 300 years. 

“We aim to limit any impact on the environment and support the transition toward a lower-carbon future. We recognize the importance of climate change, along with our role in helping people to achieve and maintain a good quality of life,” adds the company.