Pave California Roads with Plastic? Bonita Vista High Students Say Yes

Soon, California may be moving towards a different way to pave roads for drivers.

After a visit from Senator Ben Hueso, Bonita Vista High Schools Progressive Club and Green Club were challenged to find a solution to put the plastic surplus in California to good use.

Bryce Garrod, then a junior at Bonita Vista High, and his classmates recalled reading an article about the MacRebur company located in Vista, that takes plastic and prepares it to be used in asphalt.
“That was one of our focuses, doing something with the plastic and making it useful,” said Garrod, now a senior at Bonita High.

Chris Sparks, the president and CEO of MacRebur takes plastic out of the recycling and landfill chain, and then processes it. Then the company sells the plastic to asphalt companies who use the plastic mixture in place of oil when making asphalt. MacReburs product has already been tested in San Diego County, specifically on a road on the UC San Diego campus that has been built with the recycled plastic material.

According to MacReber, the material is more environmentally friendly and also creates a stronger, sturdier road. Instead of going into the states landfill, it will be recycled and repurposed to bring aide to thousands of roads throughout California.

As a result to Senator Huesos proposal, the state Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1238, which directs Caltrans to study the use of plastics in asphalt for construction, or repair of a state highway or road.