Suqian, Jiangsu, April 14, 2025 – Experts and professionals gathered today at Gaoxiong Road to inaugurate the world’s first pavement incorporating dual-blend recycled plastics with asphalt mixtures. The event, jointly hosted by Aramco and the Nonmetallic Excellence and Innovation Center for Building Materials (NEXCEL), with support from the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA), Nanjing Tech University, and Jiangsu Suqian Traffic Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., demonstrates how waste plastics can be transformed into high-performance road construction materials.
Globally, around 400 million tons of plastics waste are generated annually, with a historical accumulation exceeding 7 billion tons—yet less than 10% is recycled.
To address this challenge, NEXCEL has pioneered an innovative material solution. Their breakthrough achievement is the world’s first demonstration pavement using dual-blend recycled plastics in asphalt mixtures, marking a significant step toward sustainable infrastructure. This approach directly tackles two major issues: secondary pollution caused by traditional plastics landfilling and incineration, as well as the shortage of materials needed for road construction.
The project demonstrates an innovative application where recycled thermoplastic plastics replaced 20% of asphalt and recycled thermosetting plastics substituted 50% of fillers in a 2-kilometer-long, 6.4-meter-wide road section. It has initiative successfully incorporated 33.4 metric tons of recycled plastics into asphalt production, achieving 18.6% reduction in material costs and 36% decrease in carbon emissions. By transforming waste plastics into high-performance pavement materials, the project provides a scalable, China-focused blueprint for promoting circular economy principles and expediting low-carbon transitions in global infrastructure construction.
Charting a path to zero-carbon future
Nader Al Arfaj, Managing Director of Aramco China, remarked,
"The successful completion of the world's first dual-blend asphalt pavement pilot project, which incorporates recycled plastics, represents a significant milestone in Saudi-Chinese joint innovation for sustainable, low-carbon solutions. We are proud to collaborate with NEXCEL in promoting non-metallic materials for China's construction industry."
“This achievement marks the successful transition from laboratory research to real-world applications, demonstrates the tremendous potential of integrating recycling technologies with infrastructure development. “
Prof. Wen Zhaijun, Vice President of CBMA, noted,
“In alignment with global green development initiatives, CBMA has established the NEXCEL as a collaborative platform. Through the innovation projects, NEXCEL has demonstrated over a dozen core technologies and products. These breakthroughs are accelerating the global shift toward high-performance, durable, and recyclable non-metallic materials—setting new industry benchmarks.” “Looking ahead, we double down on our commitment to driving innovation, strengthening our strategic partnership with Aramco, tackling technological bottlenecks, and scaling up the 'Suqian Experience' – positioning advanced materials as the driving force for sustainable development.”
Suqian Experience pioneers the circular economy
Prof. Lu Weidong, Vice President of Nanjing Tech University, noted,
"NEXCEL has revolutionized traditional industry-academia collaboration by financing open research projects through the Innovation Fund. It helped realize joint research on needs and the sharing of results and patents.”
“The project team has established a fully independent intellectual property (IP) portfolio, securing two national patent approvals. This milestone demonstrates academic research must be based on the international innovation ecosystem. In deep collaboration with global leaders such as Aramco and China National Building Material Group (CNBM), science and technology are transformed into tangible solutions.”
Shi Mingxia, Vice Chairwomon of the Suqian Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and General Manager of Suqian Transportation Industry Group, noted,
“Aramco and CBMA have introduced to Suqian world-class technology and resource recycling solutions, transforming the city from a mere advocate of green and low-carbon construction concepts into an innovative practitioner.”
“The project has built an industrial chain from laboratory R&D to engineering verification, which not only provides the “Suqian experience” of “solid waste utilization + infrastructure upgrading” for the construction of “waste-free city” in China, but also explores a new path of synergistic development of ecological and industrial benefits.”
Prof. Hou Shuguang of Nanjing Tech University, noted,
“The large-scale application of recycled plastic dual-blend technology in national asphalt pavement construction and highway maintenance could potentially achieve an annual utilization of over eight million tons of recycled thermoplastic plastics and an annual consumption of over 19 million tons of recycled thermosetting plastics. This represents 43% of China's total annual waste plastic volume, while driving a shift in the road construction industry from resource-intensive practices to an eco-value-added model.”
Zhu Wenbing, General Manager of Jiangsu Suqian Traffic Engineering Construction Co., Ltd, noted,
"This technology has proven the long-term durability of recycled plastic asphalt, while tackling two key industry challenges: the high energy use and heavy emissions of traditional asphalt. By transforming waste into roads, it sets a sustainable benchmark—a true milestone in green infrastructure."
Building a community for material innovation
Mohammed Mulhim, Vice President of Engineering and Technical Services of Aramco Asia, noted,
“This project isn’t just about a road—it’s about setting a precedent. It demonstrates how nonmetallic innovations can revolutionize infrastructure, aligning with China’s sustainability goals and global climate action. As we look at this road, let it remind us that progress is paved not just with asphalt, but with vision, collaboration, and courage. Aramco is honored to walk this path with all the partners toward a greener and smarter future.”
Dr. Li Juan, Program Director of NEXCEL, noted,
“This pilot project in Suqian is one of the best practices by the NEXCEL. We will continue to focus on the R&D of nonmetallic technology, build an international platform and cooperation network covering many countries and regions, and promote the wider application of its achievements in the global engineering field.”
This collaboration transforms sustainability ambitions into action, redefining road construction while creating a global role model for low-carbon infrastructure. It proves economic growth, and environmental stewardship can prosper together, paving the way for a greener future.
Other distinguished guests from Aramco Asia, CBMA, Nanjing Tech University, Suqian National Economic and Technological Development Area, Suqian Municipal Transportation Bureau, Suqian Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Suqian Transportation Industry Group and Jiangsu Suqian Traffic Engineering Construction Co., Ltd attended the event.
