How Recycled Plastic Is Being Used in the Construction Industry
Thanks to a strong economy, and the fact that we will always need new buildings and homes, the construction industry is in growth mode. In this era of sustainability, it is important to ensure that everything that can have detrimental impacts on the environment is recycled and prepared so that it can be useful once again. One of the materials that can be used in the construction industry is recycled plastic wood.
At the beginning of civilization, Mesopotamians and Egyptians used composite building materials that were made by a mixture of straw and mud. That was 1500 BC, which means that people started using environmentally friendly construction materials many thousands of years ago.
Recycled plastic wood is a low-maintenance building material that has brought significant impacts in the construction industry where people are building cheap structures to accommodate the increasing population around the world. Below are specific ways through which recycled plastic wood and recycled plastic are being used in the construction industry.
Roofing Tiles
Roofing is an essential part of any building and takes a considerable amount of money to install. There have been several methodologies that have been used in the construction of roofing materials in the United States and other parts of the world. Using recycled plastic to build roofing tiles is currently becoming a great way to replace traditionally expensive roofing materials.
Recycled plastic wood can easily be melted to form durable roofing tiles that offer considerable benefits that outweigh the use of traditional roofs. These tiles are easier to install, they are lighter, and they have a lower carbon footprint.
Concrete Structures
Recycled plastic is currently being used in the construction of stronger concrete structures. It is common knowledge that a lot of trees have to be cut down so that they can produce the lumber used in the construction of concrete structures. However, recycled plastic is currently being used to form very strong concrete structures.
An experiment carried out at MIT has concluded that a mixture of plastic and cement paste forms concrete structures that are 15% stronger than the regular concrete. Besides being strong, these concrete structures are eco-friendly and long-lasting.
Plastic Fences
There are many types of fencing materials that people use in the United States such as concrete, barbed wire, and wood fences, but plastic wood fences have attracted huge attention over the last few years. Many people believe that recycled plastic fencing is the future of the fencing industry as builders and homeowners seek more sustainable materials.
Most of the recycled plastic materials have attained commercial-grade strength, which means that they can be used for any other construction purpose including the construction of fences.
Indoor Insulation
The use of plastic materials for indoor insulation seems to be gaining momentum as well. In fact, your home may contain insulation that contains recycled plastic already.
That’s because indoor insulation companies have also started using plastic materials to make energy efficient insulation materials. Recycled plastic indoor insulation is currently highly preferred because of durability, long-term energy savings, and easy installation.
Structural Lumber
Using recycled plastic as the major component in recycled plastic wood in place of other construction materials such as steel comes with a plethora of undeniable benefits. The “lumber” formed through recycled plastic is not prone to most of the insects or decay that affects natural wood. Builders can also cut back on the use of wood preservatives, which are usually toxic.
The use of recycled plastic in the construction industry is not all about saving money and building durable structures. As builders and clients alike place an emphasis on green building practices, recycled materials like recycled plastic wood are here to stay.