We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Characteristics of Wall Panels From Thin Plastic Packaging Waste
Summary
Researchers in Indonesia turned hard-to-recycle plastic waste—like plastic bags and food packaging—into wall panels for buildings, offering a promising way to reduce plastic pollution while cutting down on natural resources used in construction. Testing showed these panels meet safety standards for non-structural uses (like interior walls), meaning this could become a real, practical way to repurpose plastic trash instead of letting it pile up in landfills or break down into microplastics in the environment.
Abstract - Plastic waste has increased following the spike in plastic use as a result of population growth in Indonesia. Approximately 61.37% (21.670 million tons) of plastic waste per year goes unreported, including 7.68 million tons of plastic waste which has a high level of urgency. Thin plastic packaging waste, which has low economic value, is a major contributor to environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the construction sector consumes substantial natural resources, highlighting the need for alternative sustainable materials. This study assesses the wall panels made from thin plastic packaging waste, including plastic bags, non-plastic-bags and non-aluminum plastics, and aluminum-laminated plastics. The research methods include literature study and laboratory testing, with production stages consisting of shredding, washing, drying, melting, and pressing using hot press and cold press machines. The panels were tested for density, moisture content, thickness swelling, Modulus of Rupture (MoR), Modulus of Elasticity (MoE), and tensile strength. The results indicated that MoR values of panels made from plastic bags, non-plastic bags and non-aluminum plastics, and aluminum-laminated plastics were 392.3; 338.231; and 227.323 kgf/cm², respectively. MoE values were 9,793.83; 14,664.19; and 9,942.72 kgf/cm², while tensile strength values were 1.95; 1.67; and 1.27 kgf/cm². Overall, the panels meet the minimum requirements of the Indonesian National Standard-INS 03-2105-2006, except for the MoE parameter, indicating their suitability as non-structural particle boards for sustainable construction.