Ford Motor Recycling Plastics for Paving

Ford Motor Company of the United States is conducting a trial to recycle mixed plastics for use as a new paving surface material in Dagenham, UK, which is part of Ford’s plan to recycle all automotive materials over the next five years.

According to Ben Diggins, an engineer at Ford who is responsible for the processing of the project, the company expects to start recycling plastics in the summer of 2003. The company has a very large five-year plan and all automotive waste will not be disposed of by landfill. 16%~25% of automobiles are non-metallic materials, and plastics account for about 10%. The purpose of advancing this project is for companies to abandon the landfill method for waste disposal. Ford Motor Company is working with Plsmega Industries to make concrete roads with fine stone and mixed recycled plastics, of which plastic accounts for 30%. The problem to be solved by the project is still the separation of waste plastics, and some small plastic parts less than 25 grams do not need to identify what kind of plastic.