World premiere in Overijssel: The first PlasticRoad bike path comes in Zwolle

Vianen/Zwolle, 7 June 2018 – The PlasticRoad, a road made of recycled plastic, becomes a reality. The municipality of Zwolle and the province of Overijssel have committed to the first PlasticRoad pilot project. In September the first PlasticRoad will be constructed in Zwolle and in another location in the province a few months later.  The PlasticRoad concept was launched in 2015 by market leader in road construction KWS (a subsidiary of Royal VolkerWessels). In 2016, KWS entered into a partnership with Wavin and Total for further development of the PlasticRoad.

The first PlasticRoad in the world comes to Zwolle. The province of Overijssel and the municipality of Zwolle see great potential in the PlasticRoad as a solution for the challenges of the future as it pertains to a circular economy. Both parties are stimulating innovation to give entrepreneurs with sustainable ideas an opportunity for practical realization. By being the first client of these innovative entrepreneurs a new product can be tested for technical and economic feasibility.

The road to the PlasticRoad

The first two pilot projects will be realized in the form of 30 meter long bicycle paths made of hollow prefabricated elements enabling water drainage and laying down of cables and pipes, with the exact final locations still to be decided. The PlasticRoad partners KWS, Wavin and Total have worked extensively on the development and testing of the concept to validate and optimize performance such as the load bearing capacity of the modular elements, the appropriate blends of recycled plastic and the three dimensional design of the road itself. In addition, research focused on the reduced environmental impact has been carried out. The positive results achieved to date support moving forward to make the first pilot projects reality. These pilots mark an important step towards the developing process and success of the PlasticRoad.

Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma, the inventors of the PlasticRoad and KWS employees explain: "After an extensive period of design, testing and development, we are delighted that the PlasticRoad is becoming a reality. Together with the municipality of Zwolle and the province of Overijssel, we as PlasticRoad partners are taking steps towards a more sustainable world with this first PlasticRoad bike path.”

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About KWS

Roads and public spaces. Over land and water. Above and below the ground. Royal VolkerWessels company KWS designs, builds, maintains, manages and operates infrastructure. With eight local branches and several subsidiaries, participations and own equipment, KWS offers a range of disciplines close to the customer. From advice to asphalt production. From specialisms such as earthwork, sewerage and hydraulic engineering to small-scale work for municipalities and private individuals. As a market leader in road construction and asphalt production the company also works on extensive multidisciplinary projects in which they realize the complete infrastructure. Sustainable innovations such as PlasticRoad, the HERA system for recycled asphalt and luminous lines FloWithDGlow comes from the KWS sleeve. For more information, visit www.kws.nl.

About Wavin

Wavin is a leading supplier of plastic pipe systems and solutions. As one of the longest established names in the market, Wavin built its reputation on over 60 years of high quality and innovation. Wavin connects customers to better solutions for above and below ground projects in the following application areas: water management, heating and cooling, water and gas distribution, waste water drainage and datacom. Wavin headquarters are located in Zwolle, the Netherlands and has presence in more than 25 countries and about 30 manufacturing sites, mostly located in Europe. Wavin employs approximately 5000 people. www.wavin.com.

Wavin is a subsidiary of Mexichem:  a global leader in plastic piping and one of the world’s largest chemical and petrochemical companies. Mexichem contributes through the Fluor, Vinyl and Fluent Business Groups to global development by delivering an extended portfolio of products to high growth sectors such as infrastructure, housing, datacom and water management, among others. Wavin is part of Mexichem’s Fluent Business Group, one of the biggest producers of plastic pipes and connections worldwide. www.mexichem.com.

About Total

Total is a global integrated energy producer and provider, a leading international oil and gas company, a major player in low-carbon energies. Our 98,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative and accessible to as many people as possible. As a responsible corporate citizen, we focus on ensuring that our operations in more than 130 countries worldwide consistently deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. www.total.com