Caltrans to pave roads with recycled plastic bottles

The California Department of Transportation will be paving roads in Butte County with 100 percent recycled material.

Sections of Highway 162 will be paved using recycled asphalt and liquid plastic made from plastic bottles. This will be the first time the department has paved a road using recycled materials.

The roadwork will pave three lanes of a 1,000-foot highway. The department said that one mile of pavement will use 150,000 plastic bottles.

This is the first state highway to be paved using the material. Caltrans says this will be a test for use throughout the state.