A new discovery “How to make concrete from plastic instead of sand”

A team of researchers has developed a unique way to replace up to 70% of the sand in concrete with pieces of plastic, which addresses two of the biggest environmental problems facing the world. A team from the Sona College of Technology in India said that the new technology will not only help preserve sand, As the second most widely used natural resource, it also helps reduce the volume of landfills that frequently contain plastic bottle waste.

Dr. Malathi, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and a leading inventor of the technology, who has just received a patent from the Indian Patent Office, said:

 “Our invention uses recycled plastic waste as a partial substitute for fine aggregate or natural sand in the manufacture of paving blocks and ready-made bricks.”

India consumes approximately 70 million tons of sand annually to meet infrastructure requirements and this use is increasing at a rate of 7% annually. Meanwhile, more than 5 million tons of plastic are consumed each year, with only about a quarter of the amount recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills. The invention that turns plastic waste into a usable building material can be used to partially replace the traditional concrete component.

Chuko Falyaba, Vice Chairman of the Sona Group of Educational Institutions, said:

 “We hope this amazing invention will prevent the global sand supply from depleting, in addition to reducing plastic waste.”

Chuko Falyaba, Vice Chairman of the Sona Group of Educational Institutions, said: 

“We hope this amazing invention will prevent the global sand supply from depleting, in addition to reducing plastic waste.”