FARIDABAD: Indian Oil Corporation has built 850 metres of road using 16 metric tonnes of single-use plastic waste in bitumen concrete, and has invited ‘expression of interest’ from various parties and aggregators to consistently supply commercial quantities of such waste.The state-run oil marketing company built the road outside its research and development facility in Faridabad on an experimental basis for testing its strength and durability, officials said. It is demarcated into three zones representing 1%, 2% and 3% concentration of waste plastic such as carry bags and packaging film waste, and will be monitored under same conditions for two years.According to Central Road Research Institute specification, allowable percentage of waste plastic in bitumen is 0.8%. IOC, in partnership with CRRI, is experimenting whether this limit can be extended to 3%.“Incorporation of 3% of waste plastic will save Rs 2 lakh per km for road construction as compared to currently used premium quality bitumen,” said S S V Ramakumar, director (R&D) at IOC. “The input cost will be reduced massively if we use indigenous waste plastic and not depend on imported virgin polymers.” If the experiment is successful, IOC will approach the road transport ministry to make it mandatory for every bitumen aggregator to use waste plastic to the scientifically proven percentage, he said.