How Netherlands built the 'World’s First PlasticRoad Cycle Path' using recycled plastic equivalent to 218,000 cups

What if discarded plastic could become part of the road beneath your bicycle? That was the idea behind the first PlasticRoad cycle path in the world. It opened in Zwolle, Netherlands on September 11, 2018.

The 30 metre stretch was built using recycled plastic, which was equivalent to 218000 plastic cups/500000 plastic bottle caps.

First PlasticRoad Cycle Path Opens in Zwolle

The cycle path was built on the Deventerstraatweg in Zwolle, between the intersections with Lindestraat and Verenigingstraat.


According to KWS, the concept had been presented three years earlier. Wavin and Total joined the project in 2016, bringing their expertise in plastics to help develop the concept into a working product.

The opening was marked by Overijssel provincial executive Bert Boerman and Zwolle alderman William Dogger, who cycled over the path alongside PlasticRoad creators Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma.

218,000 Plastic Cups Used in the 30-Metre Path

The most striking part of the project was the material used to build the path.

The 30-metre PlasticRoad contained the equivalent amount of recycled plastic found in 218,000 plastic cups or 500,000 plastic bottle caps.

The pilot was also fitted with sensors designed to measure what was happening on and inside the cycle path. These included temperature, the number of cyclists using the road and the load placed on it. That also made the PlasticRoad the world's first smart cycle path, according to KWS.

How PlasticRoad Was Designed to Reuse Plastic Waste

The project was designed to give plastic waste a second life by recycling it and using it in road construction.

As per KWS report, the Zwolle pilot was circular and made with recycled plastic. The longer-term goal was for the PlasticRoad to consist entirely of recycled plastic.

The design also had another feature: its elements were prefabricated and modular. According to the report, this could allow roads to be built faster, with less disruption and lower CO2 emissions.

Hollow Design Could Help With Rainwater Drainage

The PlasticRoad was also designed with a hollow structure, this could help improve water drainage during periods of extreme rainfall. The design therefore formed part of the project's broader testing of how recycled plastic could be used in road infrastructure.

Second PlasticRoad Pilot Planned in Giethoorn

The Zwolle cycle path was only the first of the planned pilots.

A second PlasticRoad pilot was scheduled for November 2018 in Giethoorn, where different properties of the concept were to be tested. The results from the two pilots were intended to provide knowledge for further development.

The province of Overijssel and the municipality of Zwolle commissioned the first two pilots to test the technical and economic feasibility of the product. The pilots were planned to run for five years, while the PlasticRoad partners looked for additional locations where the concept could be tested for uses including parking spaces, platforms and sidewalks.