Located next to Deventerstraatweg between Lindestraat and Verenigingstraat in Zwolle, the first PlasticRoad bike path has been opened in the Netherlands. The bike path is 30 meters long and contains recycled plastic equivalent to more than 218.000 plastic cups or 500.000 plastic bottle caps. The location is equipped with sensors to monitor the road’s performance, including temperature, the number of bike passages and the durability of the road. These sensors make it the first smart bike path in the world. As well as a possible solution for waste plastic, the PlasticRoad is a way to build roads faster, with less impact on the surroundings. With less CO2 emissions and the hollow construction, the path also offers a solution for improved water drainage in the case of heavy rain fall. A second PlasticRoad bike path pilot in Giethoorn, near the pilot location in Zwolle, will open in November. The PlasticRoad partners are now looking for new locations to launch subsequent pilots to test other applications of the PlasticRoad, such as parking lots, train platforms and sidewalks.
The first bike smart path made from recycled plastic has been built in the Netherlands. The PlasticRoad project incorporated the equivalent of 218,000 plastic cups and was a collaboration between Dutch road construction company KWS, plastic recycling firm Wavin and France's Total. The 30 metre long path is equipped with sensors to monitor the surface's performance and durability. The companies involved said the cycle path was quicker to build than paths that use traditional techniques and offers improved water drainage.