Utilization of Waste Plastics in Concrete Materials
Summary
Increasing volumes of plastic waste have driven research into its incorporation within concrete to address sustainability and resource scarcity. Methods include substituting traditional fine or coarse aggregates with shredded or granulated polymers, integrating plastic fibres to enhance toughness, or combining plastics with supplementary cementitious materials. Such approaches aim to divert plastics from landfills and marine environments while conserving natural aggregates. However, the hydrophobic nature and smooth surface of plastics often impairs bonding with the cement matrix, potentially reducing workability, compressive strength and durability. Studies have therefore focused on surface treatments, modified curing regimes and optimal replacement ratios to mitigate these drawbacks. In many cases, low percentages of plastic inclusion (typically below 10–15 %) yield acceptable performance for non-load-bearing elements and can even improve energy absorption, freeze-thaw resistance or abrasion tolerance. Applications range from pavement blocks and barrier panels to confined structural components, demonstrating the global potential of plastic-in-concrete composites to meet evolving environmental and construction demands.
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Utilization of Waste Plastics in Concrete Materials publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in utilization of waste plastics in concrete materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Pozzolanic materials: Supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash, silica fume or blast-furnace slag that react with calcium hydroxide to form additional cementitious compounds.
Workability: The ease with which fresh concrete can be mixed, placed, compacted and finished without segregation.
Abrasion resistance: The capacity of hardened concrete to withstand surface wear caused by friction or mechanical action.
Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ): A thin, heterogeneous region around aggregate particles in concrete where microstructural properties differ from the bulk cement matrix.
Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP): A composite material of carbon fibres embedded in a polymeric matrix, used to confine and strengthen concrete elements.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): A systematic methodology to quantify environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life from cradle to grave.
References
- Abrasion-wear resistance of precarbonated and water-cured concrete made using ABS plastic derived from waste electrical and electronic equipment. Cement and Concrete Research (2024).
- Environmental impact and sustainable development of pozzolanic concrete incorporating polypropylene fibers: A database study. Resources Conservation and Recycling (2025).
- Investigation of the effectiveness of CFRP strengthening of concrete made with recycled waste PET fine plastic aggregate. PLOS ONE (2022).
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