From landfill to roadbed

Summit, Feb 2004 by Levin, Mike

GINA GALLANT WANTS to change how the world paves its roads. As a 13-year-old in 2000, she set out to get disposable plastic out of landfills and into asphalt pavement. Within a year, the Prince George youngster was earning praise, and awards, from the scientific community.

Following the theory that old detergent and milk containers are made from the same stuff as the oil -based polymers in asphalt binders, Gallant used her part-time job at Husky oil's asphalt division to mix three-percent disposable plastic, sixpercent asphalt and 91-percent aggregate to create "PolyAggreRoad." She then convinced Prince George's mayor to let her test the pavionng product on a city street.

The results amazed professionals. Tests revealed the pavement was more flexible than regular asphalt and just as durable. The potential of each year keeping millions of plastic containers out of Canadian landfills made the discovery all the sweeter.

- Mike Levin