Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A sustainable acoustic customization of open porous materials using recycled plastics

Researchers developed a sustainable foamy acoustic material by incorporating recycled marine microplastic waste — polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) — into a bio-based matrix, characterizing samples of different compositions for sound absorption and thermal insulation properties.

2022 Scientific Reports 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Primary study of plastic micro fibre waste for sound absorption applications

Researchers evaluated plastic microfiber waste as a sound absorption material, finding it shows some acoustic performance potential. While focused on acoustic engineering, the study explores a possible end use for recycled plastic fiber waste that would otherwise contribute to microplastic pollution.

2023 Environmental engineering 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Hybrid Chitin-Coffee Ground Biochar Foam for Microplastic Adsorption

Researchers developed a sustainable hybrid foam made from waste seafood chitin and used coffee ground biochar for filtering microplastics from water. The study found that the foam achieved consistently high adsorption efficiency across seawater, river water, and deionized water, particularly for polystyrene microspheres larger than 1 micrometer, offering an eco-friendly approach to microplastic removal.

2026 American journal of student research.
Article Tier 2

Development of a Non-Structural Prefabricated Panel Based on Construction and Demolition Waste for Sustainable Construction

This study developed a prefabricated non-structural building panel by combining recycled microplastics with construction and demolition waste in mortar, finding that a 20% construction waste blend achieved compressive strength above 31 MPa and that panels with recycled materials showed up to 39 dB sound reduction and 21°C thermal improvement. The research demonstrates a practical pathway for diverting microplastic waste from the environment by incorporating it into building materials. Using microplastics as a construction input could help reduce both plastic pollution and the environmental footprint of the construction industry.

2024 Infrastructures 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Performance 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.

2024 Applied Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A Practical Valorization Approach for Mitigating Textile Fibrous Microplastics in the Environment: Collection of Textile-Processing Waste Microfibers and Direct Reuse in Green Thermal-Insulating and Mechanical-Performing Composite Construction Materials

Researchers proposed and demonstrated the direct collection and reuse of textile finishing waste microfibers as reinforcement in thermally insulating composite construction materials, diverting a significant fraction of Italy's estimated 5000 tonnes per year of textile processing waste fibers from environmental release. The composite materials met performance benchmarks for construction applications, offering both environmental and economic benefits.

2022 Microplastics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Highly Efficient, Recyclable Microplastic Adsorption Enabled by Chitin Hydrogen Bond Network Rearrangement

Scientists developed a foam made from chitin, a natural material found in seafood shells, that can absorb over 400 milligrams of nano-sized microplastics per gram of material, even in saltwater. This recyclable, sustainable approach could help clean microplastics from ocean water, and the recovered plastic can be converted into useful products.

2024 Advanced Functional Materials 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Carbon Capture Utilization for Bio-Based Building Insulation Foams

This study explored using carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere to make bio-based insulation foams as a greener alternative to petroleum-based building materials. Replacing fossil-fuel-derived plastics with biodegradable alternatives could reduce the long-term accumulation of microplastic pollution.

2021
Article Tier 2

Nonwoven Fabrics from Agricultural and Industrial Waste for Acoustic and Thermal Insulation Applications

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it investigates the acoustic and thermal insulation properties of nonwoven fabrics made from coffee husk fibers blended with cotton and other natural fibers.

2023 Textiles 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of marine microplastics on the mechanical performance of bituminous binder for road asphalt pavements

Researchers investigated the effects of marine-sourced microplastics as additives in bituminous binders used for road asphalt pavements, finding that incorporating marine microplastics into bitumen improved mechanical road performance while simultaneously providing a recycling pathway for plastic waste collected from marine environments.

2025 Transportation research procedia
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Thermal Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of physical properties of microalgae‐pectin‐based bio‐composite with addition of pine needle for environmental application

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it investigates the physical properties of a bio-composite material made from microalgae, pectin, and pine needles as a potential alternative to petroleum-based plastics, without studying microplastic pollution or environmental impacts.

2024 Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based foams with low density and thermal conductivity through ethyl cellulose and SiO2 stabilized Pickering emulsion templating

Researchers developed fully bio-based foams using ethyl cellulose and SiO2 to stabilize Pickering emulsions as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic foams that shed microplastics. Optimized curing conditions (80°C, 3h, 3% benzoyl peroxide) produced low-density, low-thermal-conductivity porous foams with potential to replace conventional plastic foams in insulation and packaging.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-friendly thermoplastic-basalt composite buoy system: eliminating microplastic pollution in marine oyster farming

An eco-friendly thermoplastic-basalt composite material was proposed as an alternative to conventional buoy systems, designed to reduce microplastic shedding into marine environments. The study demonstrates that material substitutions in maritime infrastructure can meaningfully cut a source of ocean plastic pollution.

2025 Advances in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel Treatment to Immobilize and Use Textiles Microfibers Retained in Polymeric Filters through Their Incorporation in Composite Materials

Researchers developed a novel method to immobilize textile microfibers captured in polymeric washing machine filters by incorporating them into composite polymer matrices, transforming a waste microplastic stream into a potentially reusable construction or industrial material rather than releasing it to the environment.

2022 Polymers 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Proceedings of International Exchange and Innovation Conference on Engineering & Sciences (IEICES)
Article Tier 2

Fundamental studies for designing insulation panels from wood shavings and filamentous fungi

Researchers tested the feasibility of making thermal insulation boards from wood shavings and filament waste to replace conventional petroleum-based insulation materials. This sustainable materials research is part of efforts to develop plastic alternatives that would reduce long-term microplastic environmental accumulation.

2019 BioResources 33 citations
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
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Waste Management 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Analisis Sifat Fisis dan Mekanik Biodegradable Foam Berbahan Dasar Selulosa Jerami Padi dan Polivinyl Alcohol

This paper is not about microplastics — it reports on the physical and mechanical properties of biodegradable foam made from rice straw cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol as a potential alternative to styrofoam, focusing on material science rather than microplastic pollution or health impacts.

2023 Jurnal Fisika Unand
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 ACS Sustainable Resource Management 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Fabrication of porous ceramic buoys (Ⅰ): preparation of porous ceramic beads for buoy manufacturing

Researchers fabricated porous ceramic buoys using soda-lime glass waste as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional expanded polystyrene buoys, which are a major source of marine microplastics, finding that optimized foaming conditions produced lightweight beads with a bulk density of approximately 0.2 g cm-3 suitable for buoy assembly.

2025 Advances in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Exploration of Interior Material Based on Plastic Waste

Researchers explored the potential for plastic waste to be transformed into interior design materials, using observation, interviews, and documentation methods to analyze the process from material collection through fabrication. The study characterized the physical and chemical properties of plastic waste relevant to its use as an interior material and assessed structural strength alongside its environmental risks.

2022 Proceeding of International Conference on Business Economics Social Sciences and Humanities 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Turning marine microplastics into components for producing innovative bituminous mastics: Boosting sustainability in road pavements

Researchers investigated the use of marine microplastics as an alternative filler in bituminous mastics for road pavements, finding that MPs increased softening points, reduced penetration, cut leachate heavy metal concentrations by up to 85%, and reduced the climate change impact indicator by up to 16% compared to conventional systems.

2025 Results in Engineering