An Experimental Study to Mitigate Environmental Impacts by Transforming Waste Plastic Bags into Paving Blocks and Roof Tiles

Faizan Khalid Butt, Donghui Shangguan (), Asim Qayyum Butt, Muhammad Tausif Arshad, Babar Nasim Khan Raja, Anwar Khitab, Yongjian Ding, Da Li and Muhammad Ahsan Mukhtar
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Faizan Khalid Butt: Department of Civil Engineering, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur 10250, Pakistan
Donghui Shangguan: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Asim Qayyum Butt: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Muhammad Tausif Arshad: Department of Civil Engineering, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur 10250, Pakistan
Babar Nasim Khan Raja: Department of Civil Engineering, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur 10250, Pakistan
Anwar Khitab: Department of Civil Engineering, Mirpur University of Science and Technology, Mirpur 10250, Pakistan
Yongjian Ding: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Da Li: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Muhammad Ahsan Mukhtar: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 22, 1-19

Abstract: The world’s plastic bag problem adversely impacts the environment daily. Plastic bags decompose after years, and some may take centuries, leading to pollution. Society relies on plastic bags for every task, which causes many problems for humans and aquatic life. Focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), this research used waste plastic bags melted in a boilery to develop plastocrete to cast plastocrete paving blocks and roofing tiles. Compressive and split tensile strength tests were performed on plastocrete paving blocks, while a thermal insulation test was performed on roofing tiles in the Concrete Lab of our Department. The compressive strength test on plastocrete showed that it can easily replace concrete pavement blocks after giving good compressive strengths compared with concrete blocks. Being very low in tensile strength, plastocrete is not recommended for flexure members. The thermal insulation test results indicate that using plastic bags as roofing tiles decreases thermal conductivity compared with a controlled reinforced slab. Hence, it is concluded that plastocrete will help reduce pollution in the terrestrial and aquatic environment and can be an effective waste disposal solution. The plastocrete-led paving blocks and roofing tiles not only help economically but also help preserve nature and the environment from land pollution.

Keywords: plastic bag; SDG; plastocrete; compressive strength; split tensile strength; thermal insulation test (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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