Recycled plastic bottles could be used to pave roads as the Dutch city of Rotterdam says it is considering a trial of the different road surface.
A Dutch construction company, Volker Wessels, claims the results from using recycled plastic shows the surface needs less maintenance than asphalt and could ensure greater temperature extremes.
Roads could be laid in just weeks instead of months and last some three times longer than asphalt.
Asphalt is responsible for 1.6 million tons of CO2 emissions around the world each year, so using recycled materials would be kinder to the environment.
The hollow nature of the plastic bottles means it is easier to install pipes and cables below the surface. The bottles weigh less than asphalt which makes it more efficient to transport as well as impacting less on the ground.
The company says the project is still being worked on, but it hopes everything will be ready within three years.
Rotterdam has a strong reputation for experimenting with and adopting sustainable technology. It has expressed its interest in running a trial.
