Civil and environmental engineer Naji Khoury and his colleagues at Temple have come up with a way of turning plastic waste into a porous, cement-like substance that could reduce storm water run-off. The plastic Khoury uses is PET, which is commonly found in soft-drinks bottles. Khoury's idea is to heat the flakes and mix them with subsoil that contains silt and clay. He calls the result "Plastisoil." When mixed with aggregate, it forms a material similar to concrete or asphalt that is suitable for paving paths, driveways and other surfaces.