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The Effects of Domestic Plastic Waste on Concrete Properties: Sustainable Replacement of Aggregates
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Researchers tested recycled PET plastic waste as a 10–20% replacement for fine and coarse concrete aggregates in Malaysia, finding that coarse aggregate substitution produced denser, stronger concrete with lower water absorption — demonstrating a viable pathway to divert plastic waste into sustainable construction materials.
Plastic waste poses a major environmental challenge in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia as the largest contributor. Recycling offers a solution by incorporating plastic waste as a substitute material in concrete production. This approach addresses environmental concerns while promoting sustainable construction practices. This study investigates the optimal ratios of cement, water, plastic replacement, and aggregate in concrete compositions. Furthermore, it examines the influence of domestically sourced waste plastic on concrete properties. A comparative analysis is conducted between concretes with and without plastic replacement, focusing on fine and coarse aggregates. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is utilized at replacement levels of 10% and 20% in both fine and coarse aggregates. The appropriate concrete aggregate ratio is determined based on recommendations by the Department of Environment. Various tests, including slump, density for hardened concrete, water absorption, and compressive strength, are performed to assess concrete workability. The results indicate that the density of coarse aggregate plastic concretes (DP10C, DP20C) exceeds that of fine aggregate plastic concretes (DP10F, DP20F). Additionally, coarse aggregate plastic concretes (DP10C) exhibit lower water absorption rates compared to fine aggregate concretes (DP10F) at both 7-day and 28-day curing periods. Compressive strength testing reveals that concrete replacement with coarse aggregate (DP20C) yields higher strength compared to fine aggregate (DP20F). However, the replacement of fine aggregate is limited to 10%, as exceeding this percentage drastically reduces concrete strength. In conclusion, the incorporation of plastic waste in concrete production demonstrates positive environmental effects and aligns with the concept of sustainable concrete, thereby contributing to environmental conservation efforts.
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Researchers partially replaced fine aggregate in concrete mixtures with processed PET and other waste plastic particles and found an optimal replacement level that preserved acceptable compressive and tensile strength while reducing density, beyond which plastic-to-cement bonding degraded mechanical performance, suggesting a viable route for incorporating plastic waste into lightweight non-structural construction.
Utilization of plastic waste as replacement of natural aggregates in sustainable concrete: effects on mechanical and durability properties
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Researchers tested concrete made with recycled polyethylene and PET plastic aggregates substituted for natural sand and gravel, finding that while plastic additions reduced compressive strength and increased water permeability, they improved impact resistance and chloride resistance, with PET concrete showing no microplastic leaching.
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This review examines how incorporating recycled plastic aggregates into high-strength concrete affects its physical and mechanical properties, finding that while compressive strength decreases, concrete with recycled plastic remains viable for many engineering applications and offers benefits such as enhanced energy absorption and sulfuric acid resistance.
Mechanical behavior of sustainable concrete; case study of low substitutions of fine plastic as aggregate
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A meta-analysis of concrete mixtures replacing fine aggregate with recycled PET plastic found that 5% substitution causes only a −2.6% average compressive strength reduction, while 10% substitution reduces strength by −11.9%, establishing 5% as a technically viable circular economy threshold. This is directly relevant to microplastic pollution research because incorporating plastic waste into construction materials diverts PET from the waste stream, reducing the volume available to fragment into environmental microplastics.
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