Dutch plastic road developer PlasticRoad has installed a multifunctional cycle path made from waste plastic and incorporating temporary flood water storage through Mexico City’s huge Chapultepec Forest city park.
The installation is the result of a collaboration between PlasticRoad, Mexican industrial conglomerate Orbia, and the Mexico City’s mobility and environment secretariats.
PlasticRoad’s modular design provides a safe and hard-wearing cycle path while also providing temporary storm water storage. The structure collects water during extreme rainfall, storing it for controlled release back into the ground during dry periods.
Eric Kievit, Managing Director at PlasticRoad, says, “This pilot in Mexico is an opportunity to test our product under a different set of climate conditions, which will provide us with significant data in order to explore international markets outside our country of origin—the Netherlands—in the future.”
Marina Robles García, Mexico City’s Environment Secretary says, “An initiative like this combines the idea of seeking sustainable mobility in the city with the idea of giving new life to plastic waste as reusable material to build new infrastructure. We believe that together, we can build a better city with a sustainable future.”
Andres Lajous, Transport Secretary adds, “We support initiatives that improve sustainable urban mobility to improve how people move, but that also protect the environment. This mainly has to do with cycling and e-mobility infrastructure, but it also improves the service to citizens by reducing the likelihood of flooding.”