In 1951, two Phillips Petroleum chemists discovered plastics that later found uses in everyday products; US production reached 136 billion pounds in 2025In 1951, an intriguing twist of fate brought Robert Banks and Paul Hogan to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where they stumbled upon significant pl...
01 Oct, 2026, 01.40 PM IST
This institute in Georgia helps students transform discarded plastic waste into phone chargers in under five minutesGeorgia Tech’s new Trash Lab is testing how discarded plastic can be transformed into useful products in under five minutes. Using Miniwiz’...
19 Sep, 2026, 10.31 PM IST
In 2024, Arizona put 100% recycled glass beneath a 23-mile interstate expansion; the unusual material helped protect 19 sets of existing highway culvertsWhen Arizona widened Interstate 17, engineers faced a problem that drivers would never notice. Beneath the planned expansion were 19 sets o...
18 Sep, 2026, 07.30 PM IST
In 2018, Tasmania built a road using 530,000 plastic bags, 168,000 glass bottles and 12,500 printer cartridges; engineers expected it to last 15% longerWhat if the road beneath your feet was made partly from the rubbish you threw away? In Tasmania, that idea became real in 2018. Engineers b...
17 Sep, 2026, 11.01 PM IST
In 2018, the Netherlands turned 1,000 kg of household plastic into a 30-metre cycle path; the road contained the equivalent of 218,000 plastic cupsA Dutch cycle path turned plastic waste into something useful. In 2018, Zwolle opened a 30-metre path made with about 1,000 kilograms of re...
15 Sep, 2026, 11.25 PM IST
In 2018, Melbourne put 200,000 plastic bags, 63,000 glass bottles and 4,500 used printer cartridges into a road; 250 tonnes of recycled asphalt showed 60% better fatigue resistanceIn 2018, Melbourne tested a road with an unusual ingredient list: 200,000 plastic bags, 63,000 glass bottles and 4,500 used printer cartrid...
15 Sep, 2026, 08.02 PM IST
New Jersey high school students turn waste plastic bottles into 3D-printer filament. Later use it to make tools for cleanupsUS high school students are transforming plastic bottles into 3D-printer filament. This recycled material is then used to create essential ...
15 Sep, 2026, 07.28 PM IST
In 2020, California repaved a highway using recycled materials, including 150,000 plastic bottles per mile; it could last 2-3 times longer than conventional asphaltCalifornia transportation officials tested recycled pavement using plastic bottle binder. This pilot project on Highway 162 consumed approx...
15 Sep, 2026, 06.53 PM IST
MIT researchers are giving millions of plastic bottles a new life by turning plastic waste into homes, decks and bridges using AI robotsIn a significant development, the Atlas Building Composites, a spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology are turning millions of pla...
15 Sep, 2026, 05.54 PM IST
In 2020, Australia built more than 90% of a road project from recycled waste; five million bottles went into a job that cost no more than a standard buildIn 2020, Australia built more than 90% of a road project from recycled waste; five million bottles were used in a Central Coast Council pro...
15 Sep, 2026, 01.32 AM IST
In 2018, Victoria put the equivalent of 40 million discarded bottles into a freeway; 8,000 tonnes of crushed glass went into one widening projectScience news: 8,000 tonnes of recycled glass used in the 2018 Tullamarine Freeway widening project is a powerful example of how recycling c...
15 Sep, 2026, 01.29 AM IST
From 2018 to 2022, more than 200,000 Break Free From Plastic volunteers audited waste in 84 countries; 56 companies produced more than half of all branded plastic pollutionA recent investigation highlights that fifty-six companies are behind the majority of branded plastic waste, with Coca-Cola at the forefron...
13 Sep, 2026, 01.30 PM IST
6,000 milk bottle road in China: How plastic waste found a strange second life in ShanghaiMore than 6,000 used milk bottles in Shanghai were given an unusual second life when they were processed into recycled plastic and incorpor...
12 Sep, 2026, 02.12 PM IST
In 2021, Victoria used 2,100 tons of recycled road base to rebuild the Hume Freeway. 5 years later, its 850-metre stretch had turned waste into a longer-lasting road tooPlastic bags and glass bottles usually end up in the trash. In Australia, some became part of a highway instead. Engineers rebuilt an 850-m...
09 Sep, 2026, 07.33 PM IST
In 2021, Missouri added just 1% waste plastic to a two-mile road, that tiny share consumed 10 tons, equal to 750,000 soda bottlesIn 2021, Missouri transportation officials discussed a road project that tested recycled plastic in asphalt pavement. Engineers from the Un...
09 Sep, 2026, 12.50 AM IST
In 2021, Shanghai used 6,000 milk bottles to fight plastic waste; the result became China's 1st plastic road, turning hard-to-recycle bottles into useful paving materialShanghai’s “Milk Bottle Road” demonstrates how difficult-to-recycle plastic can be redirected toward useful infrastructure. Developed throu...
08 Sep, 2026, 11.21 PM IST
In 2011, Axion built a 90-foot plastic bridge over Scotland's River Tweed. 1 year later, ASME reported its six sections took just 4 days to assemble on-site in EdinburghEngineers have developed recycled structural composites from materials such as milk jugs and detergent containers. The technology, pioneere...
08 Sep, 2026, 10.01 PM IST