Kerala has converted nearly 4,448 tonnes of discarded plastic into road-building material, supporting waste management while contributing to infrastructure development across the state.
Kerala has reused 4,447.93 metric tonnes of discarded plastic to produce shredded material for road construction, with projects covering nearly 7,249 kilometres across the state. The programme, which began in 2016, links plastic waste collection and processing with infrastructure development and provides an alternative use for non-biodegradable waste.
The material is produced by collecting, segregating, cleaning and shredding discarded plastic before it is incorporated into road construction. Clean Kerala Company has been producing the shredded plastic since 2016 as part of efforts to create a more organised system for managing plastic waste.
Government agencies and local self-government institutions have been among the largest users of the recycled material. Kerala’s Public Works Department has used 2,132.48 tonnes of shredded plastic for road projects, while local self-government institutions have accounted for another 2,028.15 tonnes. A further 17.08 tonnes has been used in National Highway construction works.
The programme is supported by a network involving local self-government institutions, Haritha Karma Sena units, Resource Recovery Facilities and Material Collection Facilities. Plastic collected through this network is segregated and processed before suitable material is shredded and supplied for infrastructure projects. Kerala’s government also notes that non-recyclable plastic sent to resource recovery centres can be shredded and used for road construction.
Production of shredded plastic has varied significantly over the years. It increased from 23.82 tonnes in 2016 to 174.78 tonnes in 2017, 439.19 tonnes in 2018 and 665.59 tonnes in 2019. Production reached 1,000 tonnes in 2020, when the material was used in projects covering about 1,710.45 kilometres of roads.
Subsequent annual production stood at 739.77 tonnes in 2021, 371 tonnes in 2022, 200.87 tonnes in 2023, 350.99 tonnes in 2024 and 466.93 tonnes in 2025. The latest available 2026–27 figure is 14.99 tonnes, covering the period reported so far.
Kerala’s approach builds on an established use of processed plastic in polymer-modified road construction. A Swachh Bharat Mission document previously reported that 3,552.031 tonnes of shredded plastic had been produced in the state between 2016 and November 2023, with 3,114.029 tonnes used to construct 5,598.83 kilometres of polymerized roads by local governments, the National Highways Authority of India and the Public Works Department.
The latest figures indicate the continued integration of plastic waste management with road infrastructure. By converting suitable discarded plastic into a construction input, the programme creates a productive outlet for material that might otherwise require disposal while supporting road development across Kerala.