Despite the fact that waste plastic can be recycled, in the U.S. less than 10% of it actually is. Part of the problem is a lack of demand for the plastic coming out of recycling facilities. But according to researchers from Stanford University, viable ways to reuse waste plastics are hiding in plain sight. From roads to building facades to drainage pipes, many common infrastructure and construction projects could easily be made using recycled plastic.

“We were trying to find a solution that will create a large amount of demand for recycled plastics, and we were also trying to find a solution that has a long-use life,” says Zhiye Li, a postdoctoral scholar in civil and environmental engineering, and lead author of a white paper showing that under the right conditions, recycled plastic could be reused at a vast scale in the form of building materials.

The white paper is an appendix to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s annual report to Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Like a guidebook of best practices, the report lays out achievable ways the waste streams of today can become the building blocks of tomorrow.

Keep reading on fastcompany.com