Plastic Waste is an Excellent Building Material

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Since the 1950s, over 9 billion tons of plastic waste have been produced, of which only 10% is recyclable. One of the most significant environmental problems is plastic waste since it cannot be organically regenerated by the soil if thrown out carelessly.
One strategy being developed by Othalo is one of many being utilized to encourage the recycling of plastic garbage. They use plastic waste to construct primary homes. This tiny, cost-effective home is built from recycled plastic and uses solar energy to generate electricity in remote areas.
This technology is anticipated to address the environmental problem of plastic waste and the demand for affordable housing and other services like restaurants and hospitals, particularly in developing nations.

“The problem is not plastic; the problem is the economics,” says Sibele Cestari, a plastic materials researcher at Queen’s University in Belfast.

“All plastic can be recycled or repurposed, but most of it isn’t because it’s unprofitable,” she says.
According to Cestari, plastic is the ideal building material. “It is inexpensive [to turn into building materials], readily available, and simple to shape.” She said that the material is long-lasting, waterproof, and insulating, making it suited for structures in a variety of climates.

Cestari points out that it uses far less heat or electricity than conventional building materials. The melting temperature of most plastics is around 200 °C, but glass and metal have substantially higher melting points.

According to the researcher, the world should reconsider its connection with plastic and learn how to use plastic garbage sustainably. Construction is one effective method. “In addition to removing the plastic from the environment, you are placing it into a fixed application. “It will never circulate again,” she declares.

Another advantage is the magnitude of the building industry. “If you want to solve the problem of plastic waste, you must find a solution on the same magnitude.” “It has to be industrial to be worthwhile,” Cestari argues.

 

Converting Plastic Waste into Property

 

Every minute, one million plastic bottles are sold around the world, according to estimates. Less than half of them are estimated to get recycled, with only 7% being converted into new bottles. However, some businesses are figuring out how to put them to good use.

JD Composites, a Canadian business, built the world’s first house out of recycled plastic bottles last year. The hurricane-resistant beach house in Nova Scotia, eastern Canada, is fashioned from almost 600,000 bottles.

JD Composites was founded by David Saulnier because he became “disgusted” by the amount of plastic debris washing up on his local beach.

“There’s a lot of it.” “We have to get rid of it,” he argues, adding that his company promotes “the use of plastic garbage” rather than the plastic itself.

The plastic beach house’s roof, walls, and floor are all composed of recycled bottles that have been melted down and transformed into foam panels. Over 5,000 recycled bottles are used in one panel.
“Plastic is highly robust, energy efficient, and inexpensive to build with,” Saulnier explains. He explains that a recycled plastic home is might save $60,000 to $80,000 in energy expenditures over 25 years.

JD Composites has used almost two million plastic bottles to construct two residences, patios, and storage facilities for fishing industries. The company intends to build another 50 homes and expand its operations to the United States east coast next year.

“If these homes start popping up all over the place, we’ll be getting rid of a lot of plastic,” adds Saulnier.