Recycled Plastic Building Material Could Replace Concrete, Steel and Timber

Written by Ariel Schwartz
Published on October 23rd, 2008
2 Comments
Posted in Recycling

plastic

A UK-based company called i-plas has invented a building material—also called i-plas—made from recycled plastic that could replace concrete, steel, and timber. I-plas can make use of any type of plastic waste except for PVC and thermoset.

According to i-plas (the company), producing 1 ton of i-plas (the product) from landfill waste saves 1.66 tons of CO2 emissions. In contrast, producing 1 ton of concrete generates nearly a ton of CO2.

I-plas can be used for bridges, walls, fences, footpaths, and more. It doesn’t splinter or chip and requires no varnishing or coating since it is moisture-resistant. The fungible material can be made either hard or soft depending on the waste materials used in its production.

You can expect to see more of i-plas in the near future— the company is planning seven new production facilities and hopes to supply the 2012 Olympics.

Photo Credit: sciencefriday.com

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2 Responses to “Recycled Plastic Building Material Could Replace Concrete, Steel and Timber”

  1. Bill Jolly Says:
    October 30th, 2008 at 4:24 am

    Where will these materials go when the structure is demolished?

  2. will tucker Says:
    January 29th, 2010 at 8:37 am

    i think this is jus t plain stupid
    think of how many jobs will be lost in the steel and lumber indutries everythings made of plastic nowdays from snuff cans to cars it takes away many years of tradition