A crucial part of The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goal of Responsible Consumption and Production is adopting a circular economy framework to reduce our carbon footprint, tackle climate change and regenerate nature. The aim is to use our resources again and again, creating a closed system where we Reduce, Remove, Reuse and Recycle, to protect our world and our futures.
In support of this goal, Social Responsibility is excited to announce Green Roads. This initiative calls for hundreds of volunteers to join KAUST students and remove waste from the side of the road on the KAUST to Jeddah Highway.
Date: Friday, April 1: 7:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
The plastic waste collected during this coordinated event will be used to demonstrate the potential of an innovative circular economy technology from our partners Dow Chemical and NAPCO, that allows for the sustainable construction of roads using recycled plastics.
With the use of Dow technology (recycled polymer modified asphalt – RPMA), Napco Recom can use its advanced recycling and compounding technologies to manufacture a sustainable bitumen modifier out of plastics waste. The sustainable bitumen will consist of recycled plastic collected during the initiative and a conventional modifier which improves the durability of paved roads for sustaining exposure to tough external factors including high temperature and traffic loads, leading to less road maintenance.
Following the event, we plan to construct a road right here in KAUST using this process and marking our commitment to the circular carbon economy and a greener future. Initiatives like Green Roads underpin our focus on exploring ways in which we can cooperate with partners and accelerate technology development to help divert plastics from going to landfills or ending up in the environment.
We can make a difference!
All participating volunteers will get the chance to win a golf cart or five electric scooters. Join Green Roads HERE and #ShapeOurFuture