Sustainable brick plastic recycle

• Main Authors: Kassim, Umar, Shuaib, N. A., Nasir, Zakwan, Sulaiman, Intan, Razak, S. M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodegradability; Bricks; Compression tests; Compressive strength; Construction industry; Containers; Decomposition; Durability; Hazardous materials; Mechanical properties; Molds; Pollutants; Pressure molding; Recycled materials; Recycling centers; Soil contamination; Soil pollution; Specifications
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0054269

Brick is a material to set up construction especially the wall parts. There are various types of bricks. However, the focus of this study is on the bricks that is consisted of recycled plastics. Plastic is the most used materials daily by humans and often being disposed in landfills and causes problems to the environment. Waste piles and pollution issues arise if plastic waste is not recycled due to its long time or duration taken to decompose. Plastic is non-biodegradable that remains as a hazardous material for more than centuries. Plastic materials can remain on earth for 4500 years without degradation, which leads to the contamination of soil. The plastic waste is composed of major toxic pollutants and has the potential to cause great harm to the environment in the forms of air, water and land pollution. This study is used plastic waste such as mineral water bottle, containers and products as plastic bricks. Plastic wastes were collected and processed by decomposing them in certain stages of heat to dilute into viscous liquid and incorporated into brick mold with standard specifications. Brick products were produced as soon as the cooling process in the mold completed and removed as interlocking plastic bricks. Compression tests were carried out to characterize mechanical properties and durability of the plastic brick. Recycled plastic materials plus organic waste (brick waste recycles mixed with recycled ceramic waste) is cheaper, durable and lightweight. Production of one-unit brick can reduce and recycle around 5 kg of plastic waste. The compression test shows that plastic bricks plus organic waste has good strength, durability and specifications as an alternative to replace conventional bricks for the purpose of modern technology construction industry, in particular the Industrialised Building Systems.