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Plastic, Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste – A complete disaster and a big threat to nature.

As we all know, Plastic, construction and demolition wastes are increasing day by day due to urbanization and population growth.

It is extremely challenging to handle and dispose of plastic as well as demolition waste. According to TIFAC, it is estimated that around 300-500kg per Sq. Meter C&D ( Construction and demolition waste) waste is generated during demolition and construction activity. As per the estimate, around 35-40 Million tons of construction & Demolition (debris) waste are generated every year in India itself, out of which only 5% is processed. This is certainly an alarming number.

Due to improper solid waste management enormous amount of C & D waste is dumped into the landfill, water bodies (Rivers, Ocean etc..) roadsides and drains which are a severe threat to the environment and human health due to this mosquitoes breeding take place and also stagnant causes flood in monsoon. On 26th July 2005, Mumbai has shut down due to flood the flood affected the city because the drainage system became stagnant due to the dumping of plastic and debris waste (source: CPCB)

Each year 150 million tonnes of plastic waste gets generated around the world and only 9% is recycled. According to UNEDP each year 13 million tons of plastic waste is leaked into the ocean (equivalent to one truck in every minute) it will be twice by 2025, there will be a more plastic waste in the ocean than fish by weight.

Due to plastic pollution human as well as marine life is affected like through disruption of various hormones mechanism and causes cancer, plastic waste is eaten by marine spices as well as animals. Disposing of plastic waste in the landfilling will cause the land infertile and leaching of soil will take place and due to this, the groundwater gets polluted. Open burning or incinerating of plastic waste will release toxic gases like Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, etc. which causes severe air pollution.

To overcome the above-stated problems and for practising circular economy we are utilizing Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste as Recycled Aggregate/Gravels (RA) and this waste will be mixed decided design mix ratio with Plastic waste (PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP) which is recyclable. The plastic waste is mixing with Construction & Demolition waste by using it as a binding agent (by melting within the range) and shredded Non-recyclable plastic waste also gets utilised by replacing it with natural aggregate/gravel in concrete and generating Solid blocks/Bricks, Road Dividers, Paver Blocks, Curbs etc. Furthermore, this product can be used in a compound wall, partition wall, low traffic zone manufacturing toilet, check dam.

•  The generated solution will greatly reduce Plastic pollution and Debris pollution.

•  As we know cement is the main culprit to climate change, each year 40 billion tons of cement is produced in this. in This project we are totally avoiding usage of cement hence we are contributing in Climate Action (Global Warming).

•  The solution will completely eliminate the use of natural resources thereby protecting our ecosystem as we are avoiding the usage of Water and Sand which is the 2nd & 3rd most usable resource after Air on the Earth.    

• It will revolutionize the current way of manufacturing paver and solid blocks by using recyclable products i.e. product stewardship.

Afnan Javed Siddique & Noor Ali Shaikh

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1wmAOxoObTRcER1d1k3WnpyRUxBZ0JGd1lvelJBcC0tMl9Z/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1-49IikK3BdbFd1BVbKGkCmVK_zd9pbRz