Eastern Province to use plastic mixed asphalt road paving
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The MOU ceremony in the presence of EP Governor Ms. Anuruddha Yahampath
The Eastern Province Secretariat has signed an agreement for the use of an additive to conventional asphalt for paving roads through innovative green technology pioneered by AGC Innovate (Pvt) Ltd.
This was made possible through the initiative of the Eastern Province (EP) Governor Anuradha Yahampath who is keen on a sustainable solution to the ever-increasing waste plastic environmental menace by utilising green technology in converting waste plastic into an industrial raw material, the company said in a media release
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Thusitha P. Wanigasinghe, Chief Secretary, Eastern Province and Dr. Judith Samaranayaka, MD / CTO AGC Innovate (Pvt) Ltd at the EP Governor’s office, Trincomalee.
“The unique tripartite stakeholder model of the MOU ensures its long-term sustainability. The EP Governor’s Office represents the waste plastic source by virtue of the tonnage collected daily by the Pradeshiya Sabhas from households and industries while the Provincial Road Development Department represents the end user with AGC Innovate being the third party in the model as the Technology Provider,” the statement said.
The initiative will commence with the paving of a two-km highway which will consume 6 – 8 tons of waste plastic, to be sourced from the Batticaloa Municipal Council Waste Collection Centre, and two other identified locations. The technology began in 2018 under the supervision of the national regulator, Road Development Authority on a stretch of highway in Ratmalana and was certified as an environmentally suitable initiative following two years of rigorous testing and observation.