Recycled plastic asphalt could be a more sustainable way to build roads in Los Angeles. (photo courtesy of StreetsLA)

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Public Works officials announced the launch of a new sustainability pilot project in which a portion of First Street between Grand Avenue and Hope Street in downtown Los Angeles was resurfaced with recycled plastic asphalt. The launch helps accomplish the goals set in the L.A.’s Green New Deal that Garcetti announced earlier this year to combat climate change by implementing multiple environmental initiatives.

Led by StreetsLA and working with TechniSoil Industrial, this application of recycled plastic asphalt is the first of its kind on a major city street. Recycled plastic asphalt made with TechniSoil Industrial’s Neo binder infused with recycled plastic from water bottles has the potential to reduce the use of petroleum in asphalt. Additional benefits include reduced energy input, fewer truck trips, zero use of virgin aggregate, increased recycling of existing roadway and the associated reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Lab tests indicate the road it produces may be five to six times the strength of a traditional asphalt road and will last two to three times longer, generating 50% life-cycle savings for taxpayers.

“Los Angeles is where the world comes to test its best ideas – where the latest innovations in sustainability find a proving ground, a laboratory, and a home built into the very fabric of our city,” Garcetti said. “With this technology from Neo, we can move closer to our most ambitious climate goals, improve the way we deliver high-quality city services and pave a path to a greener future.”

As part of the project, the city will evaluate the durability and performance of the product, under conditions of heavy vehicle weight use, where deep rutting and deformation of the roadway has resulted. Approximately 150,000 plastic water bottles could be reused per lane mile.

“The recycled plastic asphalt project supports this leadership and how the department is supporting the city’s overall efforts in combating climate change,” Board of Public Works Commissioner Teresa Villegas said.

“This project is just one example of the innovation and integration StreetsLA is pursuing to make our streets safe, mobile and sustainable,” StreetsLA General Manager Adel Hagekhalil said. “The city is the first to take this product out of the lab and put it into a public street. If this test performs the way we expect it to, it can open the doors to an entire local marketplace for recycling of waste plastics, with the extra benefits of reduced pollution and smoother rides on the streets of L.A.”

For information, visit streetsla.lacity.org.