Heaptalk, Jakarta — Sampoerna University has launched the Plastic Waste for Sustainable Pavement Center (PWSPC), an innovative road material alternative made from plastic waste. Developed over the past two years, the plastic waste-based road construction is expected to serve as a technological and environmental breakthrough and become a cross-sector collaboration hub for advancing sustainable development in Indonesia.
Kushendarsyah Saptaji, Head of the Mechanical Engineering Study Program, stated, “We are incredibly proud of the PWSPC innovation introduced by our research team. It reflects our strong commitment to sustainability and innovation in tackling global environmental challenges, particularly plastic waste pollution, a global crisis with serious environmental risks. We believe our strategic efforts will cultivate critical thinkers, innovative, and socially responsible graduates, ensuring that such innovations contribute to Indonesia’s and the world’s future.”
Indonesia faces two significant interconnected challenges: high volumes of plastic waste and growing infrastructure demands, especially for roads. According to 2024 data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia generates 64 million tons of waste annually, with 12% (7.98 million tons) being plastic waste. Meanwhile, road construction still heavily relies on conventional petroleum-based asphalt, which is not only costly but also has a high carbon footprint and limited durability.
Sampoerna University’s research team, comprising faculty, students, and alumni from the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, developed the plastic waste-based road construction to address these issues. One of its members, I Ketut Adhiarta Laksemana, Project Lab Engineer, explained that this product uses a plastic waste-asphalt blend, which enhances road durability while offering cost savings of up to 3.2% per kilometer. Additionally, it helps reduce landfill accumulation and minimizes the carbon footprint associated with asphalt production.
Adhiarta elaborated, “Our formula utilizes multilayer plastic (MLP) waste, such as snack wrappers or plastic cup seals, which consist of multiple layers of different plastic types. The MLP blend has undergone rigorous Marshall testing and fully complies with Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works and Housing standards. By replacing a portion of asphalt with plastic, this formula maintains high performance and durability while achieving the highest cost efficiency among sustainable pavement solutions.”
“To balance the plastic waste-to-asphalt ratio, we use a dry blending method, which is more compatible for large-scale production in asphalt mixing plants (AMP). Here, shredded plastic waste is directly mixed into the asphalt material,” he concluded.
