Yonkers DPW to Test Asphalt Made with Recycled Plastics

Yonkers, N.Y.  – Last20, a Canadian social enterprise, will partner with the Yonkers Department of Public Works to test asphalt made with recycled plastics.

The plastic-infused pavement will be tested by the Department of Public Works as part of the Westchester Innovation Network, a program launched by the Business Council of Westchester that aims at driving economic development, innovation, and growth in Westchester County, N.Y.

“We are excited to introduce New York to Last20’s innovative solution that upcycles plastic waste into pavement,” said Last20 founder Lauren Barnes, whose company will also test its pavement with the Regeneron pharmaceuticals company on a parking lot at its Greenburgh, N.Y. campus.

According to Last20’s website, the company replaces a portion of bitumen, the common binding agent in traditional pavement, with low-density polyethylene, one of the hardest plastics to recycle. India has been upcycling plastic waste into pavement for almost two decades, but it hasn’t been until recently in 2018 that pilots have been initiated in other parts of the world, and in cooler climates.

The BCW’s WIN program has identified 60 potential innovator partners looking to be paired locally to test a product or service and the process to match those innovators with businesses has begun.

“We are focused on embracing innovative new companies from Westchester, across the U.S. and internationally to learn from and co-create with them, and to advance key incentives necessary to get them to grow and stay here in Westchester,” said Dr. Marsha Gordon, BCW president and CEO.