Is Loose-Fill Plastic Waste an Opportunity for Thermal Insulation in Cold and Humid Tropical Climates?

Bruno Malet-Damour (), Jean-Pierre Habas and Dimitri Bigot
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Bruno Malet-Damour: PIMENT Laboratory, University of Reunion Island, 97430 Le Tampon, France
Jean-Pierre Habas: ICGM, CNRS, ENSCM, University Montpellier, 34293 Montpellier, France
Dimitri Bigot: PIMENT Laboratory, University of Reunion Island, 97430 Le Tampon, France

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: This paper addresses the plastic waste management challenge by proposing a sustainable solution for the building sector. The proposed solution uses Loose-Fill Plastic Waste (LFPW) as a thermal insulation material, the world’s first in plastic waste recovery. To investigate the potential of this new path, an experimental study was conducted on test cells in Reunion Island’s cold and wet climate. It was revealed that LFPW (size between 3 and 4 mm with 8 cm thickness) can reduce surface temperatures by nearly 3.2 °C, with a maximum difference by almost 22.2 °C. The thermal phase shift is significant (190 mn) and comparable to conventional thermal insulation solutions. The study results suggest that LFPW can provide an effective and economical solution to the challenge of plastic waste management while promoting sustainable development.

Keywords: recycling; tropical buildings; experimentation; plastic waste; thermal insulation; loose-fill (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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