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Recycled polymer fibers in concrete: a sustainability-focused review of environmental benefits and challenges
Summary
This review paper looked at studies using recycled plastic bottles and packaging as reinforcing fibers in concrete, finding this approach can cut energy use and carbon emissions by up to 85% compared to making new plastic fibers, while also keeping waste plastic out of landfills and oceans. This matters because it offers a practical way to reduce plastic pollution, but the researchers caution that more testing is needed before it's widely used in real buildings, and questions remain about whether tiny plastic particles could break off over time—a concern worth watching given ongoing research into microplastics and their potential health effects.
The growing demand for sustainable and low-carbon construction materials has intensified interest in incorporating waste-derived materials into cement-based systems. Among these alternatives, recycled polymer fibers (RPFs) obtained from post-consumer plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP) have attracted increasing attention due to their potential to simultaneously mitigate plastic waste pollution and reduce the environmental footprint of concrete. This review critically evaluates recycled polymer fiber-reinforced concrete (RPFRC) from a sustainability perspective, with particular emphasis on environmental impacts rather than solely on mechanical performance enhancement. A comprehensive assessment of recent literature indicates that the use of recycled polymer fibers can substantially reduce environmental burdens associated with conventional fiber production. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies report that recycled polymer fibers may reduce energy consumption by approximately 40%–85% and decrease global warming potential by 25%–75% compared with virgin polymer fibers. In addition, the incorporation of recycled fibers reduces demand for virgin raw materials and supports circular economy strategies in construction materials. Despite these advantages, the environmental performance of RPFRC is strongly influenced by factors such as fiber processing methods, transportation distances, substitution efficiency, and system boundaries considered in LCA studies. Furthermore, variability in recycled fiber properties, lack of standardized specifications, and limited large-scale field validation remain important barriers to practical implementation. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the environmental performance of RPFRC, identifies key research gaps, and outlines future directions to improve sustainability assessment frameworks and facilitate the broader adoption of recycled polymer fibers in concrete applications.