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The circular economy offers a solution to the linear system of “take, make, use, dispose.” It tries to maintain resources in use for as long as feasible, optimize their value while they are in use, and recover and regenerate products when they are no longer useful. Plastic sand bricks and blocks are a fantastic example of the type of innovation needed to develop a circular economy. This article aims to summarize research recently published in Sustainability.

Image Credit: Smit/Shutterstock.com

Figure 1 depicts the growth of plastic garbage from 1950 to 2019. Due to present consumption patterns and waste management techniques, landfills and the natural environment will contain around 12 billion tons of plastic litter by 2050.

As a result, different initiatives have been made throughout the world, especially in wealthy countries, to convert plastic trash into valuable items. Since the construction sector rules most economies and consumes the rawest resources, there is a lot of opportunity for developing new construction materials from plastic trash.

Figure 1. World plastic waste generation 1950 to 2019. Image Credit: Khadke, et al., 2021

This study discusses current advancements in the creation of plastic-sand mixtures. Plastic sand bricks are used in a variety of civil engineering applications, including precast bricks, partition walls, roof tiles, canal linings, and paving bricks.

These applications are important for assisting in the disposal of plastic trash that accumulates worldwide and remains non-degradable. Investigations on the use of plastic waste to enhance the qualities of concrete are not covered in this study since the topic has already been covered extensively, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. A list of literature review studies discussing the use of plastic in construction materials. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The cyclical economy and the practicality of employing plastic sand bricks as an alternative construction material are the focus of the mind map used in this review article (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The mind map is used in this literature review. Image Credit: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The literature review was primarily undertaken with the use of keywords. Plastic sand, plastic sand bricks, plastic sand blocks, plastic waste in construction, PET sand bricks, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sand, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sand, polyester (PE) sand, and nylon sand were among them.

Thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics are the two forms of plastic. Unlike thermoplastics, which can be bent, remolded, and recycled, thermosetting plastics stay in a stable, solid state once hardened.

Table 2 shows the many types of plastic, their uses, and features, as well as their potential for usage as recycled building materials.

Table 2. Types of plastic. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The use of plastic in construction products is compatible with long-term development and helps to improve environmental circumstances. Its use as a raw material in the production of bricks is discussed in the following section of the paper. Table 3 shows the papers that were picked based on the review selection method.

Table 3. List of the research title, type of materials, and scope of studies included in the review. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The following test was used to analyze the plastic bricks to traditional bricks: strength properties, water permeability, efflorescence, hardness, and soundness. Table 4 demonstrates the crushing values and water absorption for different plastic and sand mix combinations.

Table 4. Compressive strength and water absorption of various mixes. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The traditional bricks absorbed 7.08% of the water. The plastic bricks had no alkali, while the conventional bricks had alkali, according to the efflorescence test results. The brick’s hardness was determined through a hardness test. The soundness test resulted in a distinct ringing sound, suggesting that the product is of good quality. Furthermore, the plastic sand bricks were lighter than standard bricks.

Abdel Tawab et al. used melted plastic bags instead of cement to make bricks and concrete blocks. Melted waste plastic and sand were used to make the bricks, while melted waste plastic, sand, and gravel were used to make the blocks.

The bending moment, bending stress, and thermal conductivity of plastic sand brick with different percentages of LDPE are shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Physical characteristics of plastic sand bricks with various plastic percentages. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

The thermal conductivity readings were identical in bricks and blocks with similar plastic content (50%). The bending moment, and thus the bending stress, improved with the plastic component in both bricks and blocks.

The compressive strength of different plastic to sand ratios is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Compressive strength with various plastic to sand ratios. Image Credit: Osarumwense, et al., 2020

The highest load that a conventional sand-cement composite (control) could withstand was 29 KN. At a 1:3 ratio, the tile (sample) could withstand a maximum load of 39 KN.

Susila et al. tested the strength properties of samples with LDPE plastic to sand ratios of 1:3, 1:5, and 1:7 at 200 °C. The samples with the highest average compressive strength of 32.7 Mpa had a 1:3 plastic to sand ratio and 3 mm sand grains (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Compressive strength average of the specimen with plastic and sand mixture. Image Credit: Susila, et al., 2019

Table 6 illustrates the compressive strength after compaction for the three sand to plastic ratios, as well as the strength properties after 12 hours of exposure to 35 °C.

Table 6. Compressive strength of various ratios after compaction and after 12 h of 35 °C exposure. Source: Dominique, et al., 2018

Chauhan et al., evaluate plastic waste (PET) and river sand bricks carried out the research. Table 7 shows the results of the compressive strength test.

Table 7. Compressive strength test results. Source: Chauhan, et al., 2018

Bamigboye evaluated the performance of roof tiles made from recycled PET and river sand in various amounts. Eventually, it was discovered that composite tiles containing 40% PET had the maximum value, followed by those containing 50% PET (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Compressive strength average of the specimen with plastic and sand mixture. Image Credit: Bamigboye, et al. 2019

Mohan et al. investigated the feasibility of making bricks from HDPE and PP waste. To make the final brick, the mixture was heated to the plasticity zone, poured into a mold, and crushed. The compressive strengths of HDPE: PP bricks with various ratios, as well as the proportion of water absorption, are shown in Table 8.

Table 8. Compressive strength of various HDPE: PP ratios. Source: Mohan, et al., 2020

This literature study covered investigations on plastic sand bricks, blocks, and tiles from several different countries. Table 9 lists these countries and the references that go with them.

Table 9. Country of origin of studies included in this literature review. Source: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

Figure 6 depicts the proportion of research from each nation that was included in this literature evaluation as visual analysis.

Figure 6. The proportion of studies from each country is used in this literature review. Image Credit: Al-Sinan & Bubshait, 2022

Compressive strength, water permeability, efflorescence, roughness, and conductivity of samples with varied plastic to sand ratios were investigated in the experiments. Figure 7 depicts the compressive strengths of different compositions as well as a list of research that go with them.

Figure 7. Compressive strength of various compositions. Image Credit: Dominique, et al., 2018; Suriyaa, et al., 2021; Ursua, et al., 2019; Osarumwense, et al., 2020; Susila, et al., 2019; Valarmathy, et al., 2021; Bamigboye, et al., 2019; Reta, et al., 2019; Mohan, et al., 2020

Due to environmental concerns, the management of plastic garbage is becoming increasingly regulated. Different organizations are addressing the issues as the world moves toward a circular economy.

The results of previously published research on the development of alternative sustainable building materials (i.e., bricks, pavers, and roofing tiles) that blend plastic waste and sand have been synthesized in this study. The following are some of the findings of this investigation:

The conclusions of this research, which detail the current state of plastic sand bricks/blocks, enable researchers to focus on the future in terms of putting this innovative technology into reality and developing new initiatives to reduce plastic pollution. Plastic in construction materials has the potential to play a significant role in lowering global warming while also safeguarding the environment.

Al-Sinan, M. A. & Bubshait, A. A. (2022) Using Plastic Sand as a Construction Material toward a Circular Economy: A Review. Sustainability, 14(11), p. 6446. Available Online: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/11/6446/htm.

Laura Thomson graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with an English and Sociology degree. During her studies, Laura worked as a Proofreader and went on to do this full time until moving on to work as a Website Editor for a leading analytics and media company. In her spare time, Laura enjoys reading a range of books and writing historical fiction. She also loves to see new places in the world and spends many weekends looking after dogs.

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