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20 resultsShowing papers similar to EPS waste management from coastal cleaning actions: identification of contamination sources, collection, treatment, and re-use in cement-based materials
ClearPerformance Characterization and Evaluation of Innovative Cement Mortars and Concretes Made with Recycled EPS
Not relevant to microplastics — this study evaluates the mechanical strength and thermal insulation performance of cement mortars and concretes that incorporate recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads as aggregate, focused on construction materials.
Assessing the impact of chronic and acute plastic pollution from construction activities and other anthropogenic sources: A case study from the coast of Antofagasta, Chile
Researchers documented a previously unreported source of plastic pollution: expanded polystyrene (EPS) used as expansion joints at a coastal construction site in Antofagasta, Chile. They estimated that up to 82.9 million EPS spheres could be released into the environment from just one project, with mechanical fragmentation already occurring during construction. The case study reveals that construction activity is an overlooked chronic source of coastal microplastic pollution, and calls for stricter regulations and materials management at building sites near coastal environments.
A Survey on Use of Non-Recyclable Waste in Construction
This survey reviews strategies for incorporating non-recyclable plastic waste into construction materials, documenting the environmental threat posed by plastic waste in marine ecosystems and its effects on wildlife and human health. The authors conclude that using plastic waste as a component in cementitious composites offers the most promising avenue for improving environmental sustainability while providing a practical construction material.
Feasibility Study of the Use of Concrete Blocks Produced From Plastic Marine Garbage for Use in Civil Construction
Researchers investigated the feasibility of producing concrete blocks incorporating plastic waste collected from marine and coastal environments, testing blocks with varying proportions of recycled plastic as a partial aggregate replacement in civil construction applications. The study assessed the mechanical and physical properties of the resulting composite blocks, evaluating whether marine plastic garbage could be valorized as a construction material while reducing environmental plastic loads.
Valorization of post-consumer plastic packaging into a composite material
This study developed a composite building material from post-consumer mixed plastic packaging waste, providing a higher-value end use that diverts plastic from landfill. Using plastic waste in durable construction products reduces the amount available to degrade into microplastics in the environment.
A mini-review on expanded polystyrene waste recycling and its applications
This mini-review summarizes recycling technologies and emerging applications for expanded polystyrene waste, examining mechanical, chemical, and dissolution recycling methods and their practical feasibility for diverting EPS from landfill in both developed and developing countries.
Iced block method: An efficient method for preparation of micro-sized expanded polystyrene foams
Researchers developed a new method for producing micro-sized expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam particles in the lab, enabling better-controlled experiments on EPS microplastic toxicity and environmental behavior. EPS foam is widely found in the environment but has been understudied compared to other microplastic types.
Marine Plastic Waste in Construction: A Systematic Review of Applications in the Built Environment
This systematic review evaluates how recycled marine plastic waste can be used in construction materials like concrete, asphalt, bricks, and insulation. Reusing ocean plastics in buildings could help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the environment. While performance varies, this approach offers a promising way to address marine plastic waste while creating useful building materials.
High-Sulfur-Content Materials Derived from Postconsumer Polystyrene Wastes: Thermomechanical Properties, Environmental Impacts, and Microstructural Insights
Researchers reacted four postconsumer polystyrene waste streams (flatware, cups, lids, packaging) with elemental sulfur to produce high-sulfur-content materials with mechanical strength competitive with Portland cement and fired brick. The approach upcycles microplastic-generating polystyrene waste into durable construction materials, offering a strategy for reducing the contribution of discarded PS to environmental microplastic contamination.
Environmental implications of styrofoam waste and its utilization as lightweight fill material for embankment construction
Researchers investigated the environmental problems caused by styrofoam waste and explored whether it could be repurposed as a lightweight fill material for construction embankments. They found that incorporating styrofoam into embankment construction improved structural performance while diverting waste from landfills. The study suggests that reusing styrofoam in civil engineering could help address both waste management and construction challenges.
A critical review of the current progress of plastic waste recycling technology in structural materials
Researchers reviewed technologies for recycling plastic waste into construction materials such as concrete and asphalt, finding this approach can meaningfully reduce the environmental burden of plastic pollution. Incorporating plastic waste into building materials offers a practical path toward both waste reduction and more sustainable construction.
Effect of composite polystyrene granular thermal insulation mortar on thermal energy storage of building energy consumption
Researchers simulated the effect of adding polystyrene granules to building insulation mortar on thermal energy storage and overall building energy use. The composite mortar improved insulation performance, suggesting polystyrene waste materials could be repurposed in construction to reduce building energy consumption.
Potential use of PET and PP as partial replacement of sand in structural concrete
Researchers tested whether PET and polypropylene plastic waste could partially replace sand in structural concrete, evaluating the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting material. Using post-consumer plastic in construction is one strategy for diverting plastic from the waste stream and preventing it from breaking down into environmental microplastics.
Potential improvement in the mechanical performance and thermal resistance of geopolymer with appropriate microplastic incorporation: A sustainable solution for recycling and reusing microplastics
Researchers tested whether microplastics of various sizes could be incorporated into geopolymer, a cement-like construction material, as a way to recycle plastic waste. Adding small amounts of microplastics actually improved the material's strength and heat resistance up to 400 degrees Celsius. This approach offers a potential solution for trapping microplastics in building materials rather than letting them pollute the environment and threaten human health.
Association of metals with expanded polystyrene in the marine environment
Researchers analyzed metals associated with beached expanded polystyrene fragments from marine environments and found that EPS accumulates heavy metals on its surfaces, potentially concentrating toxic contaminants and delivering them to organisms that ingest EPS pieces.
Recycling/reuse of plastic waste as construction material for sustainable development: a review
Researchers reviewed how waste plastic can be incorporated into construction materials — as binders, aggregates, or cement substitutes in bricks, tiles, concrete, and roads — finding that plastic-modified materials often show competitive strength properties while simultaneously diverting plastic waste from landfills.
Assessment of Plastic-Infused Concrete Bricks and Their Suitability for Interlocking: Mechanical, Durability, and Environmental Perspectives
Researchers tested plastic-infused concrete bricks as a way to repurpose plastic waste in construction materials, evaluating their mechanical strength and suitability for different building applications. The study explores whether incorporating plastic waste into durable materials can reduce the plastic entering the environment as microplastics.
Experimental Tests on Lightweight Cement Mortar and Concrete with Recycled Plastic Wastes
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it tests the mechanical properties of cement mortar and concrete incorporating recycled plastic waste granules as aggregate substitutes, a construction materials engineering study.
Evaluating the structural performance of waste PET-infused interlocking units versus traditional stone masonry
This study is not directly about microplastics — it evaluates the compressive strength and water absorption of interlocking bricks made from waste PET plastic as a partial cement replacement in construction.
A Journey from Processing to Recycling of Multilayer Waste Films: A Review of Main Challenges and Prospects
This study assessed microplastic contamination in beach sand from 11 tourist beaches in Greece, finding particles at all sites with higher concentrations near beach access points and concession areas. Styrofoam fragments and polypropylene pellets were the dominant particle types.