Our oceans are drowning in plastic. But what if instead of all that waste ending up in a landfill, it ended up beneath your car's wheels? 

Researchers in Hawaii are doing exactly that: paving roads with recycled ocean plastic and old fishing nets. And so far, it's working.

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Well, Hawaii has a growing problem when it comes to plastic waste, which is not uncommon for an island with constrained space.

With landfills overflowing and discarded nets and trash floating in from the open ocean, it has created quite the problem for a place known for its natural beauty.

So, when researchers at the Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) were considering how they might fix this problem, a solution presented itself in plain sight.

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Since 2020, most roads in the Aloha State have been paved using a blend of asphalt and plastic, also known as polymer-modified asphalt. This makes roads more durable — especially in a tropical climate where cracking, rutting and water damage are common.

Naturally, the researchers wondered if discarded plastics could be used in the blend instead. 

This would kill two birds with one stone — more durable roads and a beneficial place for some of this plastic pollution.

Putting the plan into action

The first step was collecting the plastic waste to be used in the paving experiment. 

Over 200,000 pounds of plastic fishing gear, which is the largest contributor to Hawaii’s marine debris problem, have been collected from the Pacific Ocean to date.

After properly processing the recycled plastic, the team was able to take their idea into the real world.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation had a road in Oahu paved in sections using three different types of asphalt: the original blend, one made with plastic from recycling and one with plastic from discarded fishing nets.

But the kicker — will this experimental asphalt release more harmful microplastics into the environment?

The findings

Nearly a year later, the team returned to the site and collected dust from the road to determine whether the level of microplastics was elevated from the test asphalt versus the conventional asphalt.

The initial findings showed that the asphalt containing the recycled plastic did not release more polymers — which is encouraging news. 

While only time will tell how this experimental asphalt holds up with the wear and tear of weather and traffic, this approach could greatly reduce landfill waste and marine debris across Hawaii.

And if successful, this could fuel similar efforts in other places.

This is a poignant reminder that a little bit of imagination and an emphasis on sustainability can go a long way in helping the place we all call home.

Caitlin Kaiser graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before starting her career as a digital meteorologist with weather.com.