Building Blocks Made of Recycled Plastic
ByFusion, a start up company founded by New Zealand based engineer and inventor Peter Lewis, sees building potential where other see trash. The company has developed a portable machine that turns scraps of discarded plastic waste into bricks for building. They hope to build not only houses, but entire communities in the future with this sustainable innovation.
There is little doubt as to the negative effects plastic is having on our oceans and waterways. It is estimated that by 2050, for example, plastic products could outnumber fish in our oceans.
This 100% modular technology can convert all types of plastic waste found in our ecosystem into a building blocks called Replast. Key to the innovation is the variety of different plastics that can be used. ByFusion explains that there are actually seven different types of plastic in common circulation. However, as a result of toxicity, high processing costs and safely, only three types are typically processed and recycled. But even these three types must be be sorted and cleaned before being processed, which is of course labour intensive. By contrast, the ByFusion process can work with all seven types of plastic waste, whether clean, contaminated or mixed.
Offering considerable design flexbility, the Replast blocks are produced in sizes and dimensions of typical concrete cinder blocks, as well as in different colours. They can be used for applications in architecture, infrastructure and landscape thanks to their durability to the elements.
Additional material benefits include 95% lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GhG) during their production than that produced by concrete, as well as better thermal and sound insulating capabilities than a concrete block. Furthermore, Replast requires no glues or insulations and can help contribute towards USGBC LEED certification.
ByFusion is planning to sell these modular plastic bricks globally. They are currently running a crowd funding campaign on indiegogo so check it out and spread the word!