CSIR-CRRI and BPCL Develop India's First Plastic Waste-Based Phoenix Geocell for Road Construction

Key facts

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) developed the Phoenix Geocell, India's first technical textile geocell made from end-of-life mixed plastic waste.
• The technology converts mixed municipal plastic waste into structural strips of 4–8 mm thickness to create honeycomb structures with thermal stability up to 250 degrees Celsius.
• The innovation was demonstrated on July 11, 2025, at Loop 1 of the elevated DND–Faridabad–KMP Expressway near Delhi with support from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
• The geocell system underwent durability and performance testing under extreme temperatures and varying terrain conditions in Leh and Bikaner.
• The project was recognised by the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records and aligns with the Swachh Bharat Mission, Waste to Wealth Mission, and Atmanirbhar Bharat.