Eli5 why we can’t melt plastic down and use it to add to asphalt

Question

I keep reading about how most plastic can’t be recycled and goes to the landfills instead.

With our technology, why can’t we melt it down, using some sort of scrubbers/filters to capture the emissions, and add it to asphalt or other industrial uses?

At the very least it seems like we could reuse that plastic for non food items that are typically used once and tossed.

In: 9

Answer 1

Plastfault! I wrote a hypothetical ad pitch for this product in my marketing class in college. It has some flex to it, so it can heave in the winter and return to shape in warmer temps.

My teacher thought it was a crazy idea and didn’t like it. A good idea from a different student in her opinion? Lip gloss that can help you lose weight. A little bit of me died that day.