Jakarta. Chandra Asri Pacific (Chandra Asri Group), Indonesia’s leading chemical and infrastructure solutions company, recently announced it had surpassed the target of building 100 kilometers of plastic asphalt roads by collaborating with different stakeholders such as the government, private sector, and associations. 

About 50.2 kilometers came from Chandra Asri Group's collaboration with the Bakti Barito Foundation and the Garut government. The construction in Garut took place in 2022-2023 and used 431.5 tons of plastic waste from the landfill.

The first trial of plastic asphalt road took place in 2018 at Chandra Asri Group’s petrochemical plant area in Cilegon City, Banten. Garut then became the region with the longest coverage. This initiative is also in support of the government's target to reduce waste by 30 percent and reduce ocean waste by 70 percent by 2025.

By the end of 2023, Chandra Asri Group, along with its partners, had constructed 120.8 kilometers of roads with a mixture of plastic waste, exceeding the initial target of 100 km. The total accumulation of these road achievements creates new functions and adds economic value to 1,086 tons of plastic bag waste. Each kilometer of plastic asphalt road utilizes approximately 1.6 tons of plastic bags and increase road durability by 40 percent.

Garut secretary Nurdin Yana said that Garut had used plastic asphalt on six road sections, spanning 16.56 kilometers and used 30.96 tons of shredded plastic waste. In 2023, the district constructed 33.68 kilometers of plastic asphalt roads on 17 sections, using 49.54 tons of shredded plastic waste.

"It is certainly an honor for us in Garut District to be chosen as a model for the application of asphalt with a mixture of plastic waste. Thank you to the Bakti Barito Foundation and PT Chandra Asri Pacific Tbk, who have developed the plastic asphalt program, which is truly an achievement for us in Garut District. The application of asphalt with a mixture of plastic waste is not just a sustainability innovation but can also be a new milestone for infrastructure development in Garut District," he said.

Edi Rivai, the director of legal, external affairs & circular economy at Chandra Asri Group, said that the company had implemented the initiative to contribute to plastic waste management.

"We implement this plastic asphalt through collaboration with various parties, and we express our utmost appreciation to The Garut District Government and The Bakti Barito Foundation, who have been one of our partners in addressing plastic waste issues in Indonesia. May the success achieved inspire more regions in Indonesia to adopt similar sustainable infrastructure," Edi said.

Chandra Asri Group is also open to collaboration opportunities to extend the plastic asphalt roads, according to Edi.

The Bakti Barito Foundation's executive director Fifi Pangestu said that this was the longest stretch of plastic asphalt road in one location.

"The Bakti Barito Foundation and The Garut District Government have built a partnership to support the Adiwiyata program. We hope this partnership can provide comprehensive solutions and expand access to environmental education while building resilient communities in Garut and its surroundings," Fifi said.

The Indonesian Plastic Recycling Association (ADUPI) has been a strategic partner in the Garut Plastic Asphalt project in providing shredded plastic bag waste according to the technical standards of the Public Works Ministry.

The collaboration with ADUPI ensures that the quality of the material meets high standards and contributes to recycling efforts and 
efficient plastic waste management. This collaboration not only provides significant environmental benefits but also supports the realization of sustainable infrastructure development in Garut District.