Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Repurposing Single-Use Plastic Waste as Artificial Aggregates Partially Replacing the Natural Fine Aggregate in Concrete — A Review

This review examines how single-use plastic waste can be repurposed as aggregate material in concrete mixtures, replacing natural sand. Analyzing 135 studies, it finds that recycled plastic aggregates can affect concrete mechanical properties while diverting plastic waste from landfills and oceans.

2023 Materials Plus 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A Step towards Sustainable Concrete with Substitution of Plastic Waste in Concrete: Overview on Mechanical, Durability and Microstructure Analysis

This review evaluates the use of plastic waste as a substitute material in concrete, analyzing its effects on mechanical strength, durability, and microstructure to assess its viability as a sustainable construction approach.

2022 Crystals 174 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 264 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycling of Plastic Waste in the Construction Industry

This review examines the use of recycled plastic waste in construction applications including concrete, asphalt, insulation, and structural composites, assessing the performance, durability, and environmental benefits of incorporating waste plastics into building materials to reduce landfill disposal.

2025 Polymers 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A brief review on polyvinyl chloride plastic as aggregate for construction materials

Researchers reviewed three decades of studies on using recycled PVC plastic waste as an aggregate in concrete and cement, examining how particle size, surface treatment, and mixing ratio affect the strength and durability of the resulting material. The review identifies practical strategies for incorporating PVC waste into construction, reducing plastic pollution while supporting sustainable building.

2023 Journal of Engineering and Applied Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrating Plastic Waste into Concrete: Sustainable Solutions for the Environment

This review examines research on incorporating plastic waste into concrete as a partial replacement for conventional aggregates and cement. Researchers found that adding recycled plastic can reduce concrete density and improve thermal insulation properties, though it generally decreases compressive strength at higher replacement ratios. The study suggests that optimizing plastic content and treatment methods could make this approach a viable strategy for diverting plastic waste from landfills.

2024 Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry 210 citations
Article Tier 2

The Holistic Approach of Plastic Waste Recycling for Sustainable Development

This review examines how plastic waste can be incorporated into construction materials including bricks, tiles, concrete, and roads as a binder, aggregate, or modifier. The authors find that using plastic waste in construction reduces landfill burden and dependence on mined resources, though performance effects vary by application.

2023 International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science
Systematic Review Tier 1

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.

2025 Polymers 4 citations
Review Tier 2

Can Microplastics (MPs) Replace Conventional Mineral Aggregates? A Brief Review

Could plastic waste be repurposed as a substitute for sand and gravel in concrete? This review examined the science and found that microplastics generally perform poorly as construction aggregates — weakening concrete, reducing durability, and posing a risk of releasing secondary microplastics over time. While some niche, non-structural applications might be feasible under controlled conditions, the authors caution against treating plastic-for-aggregate substitution as a general solution to plastic waste, as the trade-offs in building performance and environmental risk are significant.

2026 Polymers
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Matéria (Rio de Janeiro) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of Plastic Waste through Incorporation into Construction Materials

This review of 60 studies examines how plastic waste is being incorporated into construction materials — including concrete, asphalt, and bricks — as a sustainable valorization strategy, finding that recycled plastics can improve certain material properties while diverting waste from landfills.

2022 Civil and Sustainable Urban Engineering 21 citations
Review Tier 2

Potential Applications of Different Forms of Recycled Plastics as Construction Materials—A Review

This review examined potential applications of different forms of recycled plastics (granules, powder, fiber, aggregate) as construction materials, identifying suitable recycling methodologies and construction products with performance benefits such as improved toughness and reduced weight.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 European Journal of Innovative Studies and Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Buildings 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Review- Using Ground Bakelite as Alternative Solution for the Replacement of Fine Aggregate

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it evaluates ground Bakelite waste as a partial replacement for fine aggregate in concrete construction, focusing on materials engineering rather than plastic particle pollution in the environment.

2023 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Article Tier 2

Utilization of plastic waste as replacement of natural aggregates in sustainable concrete: effects on mechanical and durability properties

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.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanical and Microstructural Investigation of Geopolymer Concrete Incorporating Recycled Waste Plastic Aggregate

This study investigated incorporating recycled waste plastic aggregate into geopolymer concrete, finding that it can produce structurally viable construction materials while diverting plastic waste from landfill and reducing reliance on virgin aggregates.

2024 Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology
Article Tier 2

Utilization of Plastic Waste in Concrete Pavement

Researchers investigated the use of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste as an aggregate in concrete pavement mix designs, finding that incorporation of HDPE improved mechanical performance and durability while reducing landfill waste and energy consumption in the concrete sector.

2025 Processes
Systematic Review Tier 1

Recycled Plastics in Asphalt Mixtures: A Systematic Review of Mechanical Performance, Environmental Impact and Practical Implementation

This systematic review evaluates using recycled plastics in road asphalt as a way to reduce plastic waste. The research found that incorporating recycled plastic can actually improve road durability while diverting waste from landfills. This approach matters for microplastic reduction because it locks plastic into road surfaces rather than allowing it to break down freely in the environment.

2025 Applied Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the Use of Post-Consumer LDPE Waste and Stone Dust in Sustainable Concrete Composites

Researchers incorporated post-consumer LDPE plastic waste and stone dust into concrete mixes and found that these additions can maintain acceptable mechanical properties. Reusing plastic waste in construction materials diverts plastics from landfills and reduces their potential to fragment into environmental microplastics.

2023 Applied Research and Innovation 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycled Mixed Plastic Fine Aggregate in Cement Concrete

Cement concrete mixtures incorporating mixed post-consumer recycled plastic as fine aggregate were characterized, finding that an optimized blend of polymer types produced workable concrete with mechanical properties suitable for construction applications.

2024 Springer Proceedings in Materials
Article Tier 2

Innovative Sustainable Concrete: Fresh and Hardened Properties Incorporating Plastic Waste

This study investigated the effects of incorporating plastic waste into concrete on mechanical and durability properties, addressing the hydrophobic nature and poor interfacial adhesion of plastic as a challenge within circular economy frameworks for construction material sustainability.

2025 Current Problems in Research