Plastic wastes to construction products: Status, limitations and future perspective

• Main Authors: P.O. Awoyera, A. Adesina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020-06-01
• Series: Case Studies in Construction Materials
• Subjects: Construction; Recycling; Plastic waste; Sustainability; Product development
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214509520300024

Plastic waste is becoming extremely threatening to the environment due to their high quantities generated which pose serious harm to both the environment and its inhabitants. A major victim of this menace is the marine environment. Plastic wastes generated on land find their way to water bodies where they cause detrimental effects such as flooding and poisoning of the animals in the marine ecosystem. The plastics in the marine environment, which are ingested in fish, are also deleterious to human health if such fish are consumed. Cancer is a major disease that emanates as a consequence. In order to find an effective way to manage these wastes and improve the sustainability of our environment, this study, therefore, explores various approaches to recycling plastic wastes into new products. The critical threat of the presence of plastic wastes in our marine environment is also presented. The limitation of the use of plastic waste for construction applications alongside the prospects is discussed. It is concluded that the use of plastic wastes for construction applications will improve the sustainability of the environment significantly, and also serve as a reliable source of materials for construction purposes. In addition, the use of recycled plastic wastes as a component in cementitious composites has been found to be the most beneficial as it can be used to replace all solid components of the composite. Finally, areas for further studies are also presented.