DPWH to use bottle waste in road construction

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to start using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle waste as an additive to enhance stability and extend the lifespan of asphalt-paved national roads.

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan signed a department order on the standard specification for the use of plastic waste material dubbed as Item 310 (19) or the bituminous concrete surface course with PET plastic bottle waste, hot-laid, in paving asphalt roads nationwide.

The approval of the standard specifications for using PET plastic bottle wastes builds on the 2024 initiative of using Low-Density Polythylene plastic bag waste in road construction by the DPWH.

Bonoan said the initiatives were in line with President Marcos’ commitment to building resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

The plastic waste mixture now forms part of the DPWH Standard Specification for Highways, Bridges and Airports, Volume II, and is now included in the department’s Project and Contract Management Application which will be used for future projects of DPWH regional offices, unified project management office clusters and district engineering offices nationwide.

“Turning waste into valuable resource for building better and more roads is the future of public infrastructure development in the country. The public can expect more of these policies as we vow to continue to fund for these construction innovation,” Bonoan said.