Question

Write a short note on the contribution of Ahmed Khan of Bangalore.

Answer 1

Ahmed Khan, a plastic bag producer in Bangalore, is well-known for creating Polyblend, an innovative method for controlling the city’s growing plastic waste. His contribution focuses particularly on the sustainable construction of roadways with recycled plastic.

Key Contributions

1. Development of Polyblend: Khan developed Polyblend, a thin powder made from recovered and modified plastic waste.
2. Bitumen-Plastic Mixture: In partnership with R.V. College of Engineering and the Bangalore City Corporation, he demonstrated that combining polyblend with bitumen (asphalt) greatly enhances road durability.
3. Enhanced Road Quality: The addition of plastic improves the bitumen’s water-repellent characteristics, reducing waterlogging and potholes. This approach has been found to enhance road longevity by three times.
4. Environmental Impact: By 2002, more than 40 km of road in Bangalore had been constructed using this technology. His company, KK Plastic Waste Management, has now helped to build approximately 1,200 km of roadways throughout the city.
5. Socio-Economic Support: Khan incentivised plastic collection by providing rag pickers ₹ 6 per kg for plastic waste, far higher than the previous market rate of ₹ 0.40 per kg.