In the new year we’re keeping an eye out for those developments that aim to make the world a little greener.
Here’s one of them we found on the website Interesting Engineering: a project that uses plastic from old milk bottles to repave roads.
It’s an initiative in South Africa, where a construction company has started producing and using a more eco-friendly asphalt that contains recycled pellets of high-density polyethylene.
The company says this asphalt produces fewer toxic emissions, is more resistant to water than the standard type and it’s more durable, so they last longer and save communities money.
It’s in use now on a stretch of road outside the city of Durban, where the eco-asphalt has already recycled more than 40,000 plastic milk bottles.
And there are already plans to use more of it going forward. In other words, they’re not going to bottle up this invention. (Sorry for the pun.)
Meanwhile in Whitehall, Texas, a mayor is bringing a very fresh perspective to the job.
Mayor Charlie McMillan is a baby! He won the ceremonial job through a local auction, but he’s an enthusiastic and hardworking local official, though one that recently had to take some time away from his official duties to do some cleanup.
The seven month old mayor accidentally spilled breakfast all over himself and needed a bath.
South Africa’s Roads Are Being Repaved by Recycled Plastic Milk Bottles (Interesting Engineering)
America’s youngest mayor takes a bath (TYWKIWDBI)
