Waste Plastic Use in Paver Blocks

Abstract

Several million tons of plastic waste is produced in India every year. Plastic waste which is increasing day by day is a concern which is polluting the environment. Large amount of plastic which is discarded or burned is leading to the contamination of environment and air. Many efforts are made to reduce use of plastic or use plastic waste in many ways to reduce its impact on environment. An experimental investigation is made to use plastic waste in paver blocks. The plastic used can replace cement and hence a possibility of reduced use of cement in making of paver blocks. In the investigation, Low-Density Poly Ethylene (LDPE) and High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) plastic bags/covers which are cleaned are obtained in the shredded form is heated and added with M-Sand. The blocks with various percentage of waste plastic is cast to obtain the optimum mix results for required strength of paver blocks. The top portion of the paver block of optimum mix is finished with a layer of colored cement mortar to preserve the aesthetics of paver block. The paver block is cost effective with the replacement/reduction of cement and is environmental friendly, with the reduction of cement use and utilization of waste plastic in a better way. The paver blocks with the use of plastic waste is found to be cost effective, less water absorbent and is having less weight compared to traditional paver blocks without compromising strength of the block.