Do Recycled Plastic Bricks ACTUALLY Work?

Bricks made out of recycled plastic? On paper, they sound like the ideal solution to not only our plastic pollution problem but also housing issues. However, it's certainly a complicated subject - so there's a lot to look into. To answer the question, we visited our good friends over at Circular 11 to see how they're made.

You can check out the full video if you're interested in the topic! 🧱

[BrothersMake]

♻️🧱 This is just a short clip from our full video where we explored the pros, cons and overall feasibility of recycled plastic bricks and covered things like fire safety and degradation. If you're interested and want to know our overall conclusion, check out the full video linked on-screen ▶️

[gall]

The whole "stronger than a concrete block" may be misleading or at very least need more clarification. Is is stronger by weight, by volume, is it completion strength or shear strength you are measuring.

I am not trying to discredit you guys or anything but I see the need for more clarification. I see far too often people make statements like "this is stronger that steel" but contently leave out the fact that it is by weight not volume. Yes carbon fiber is stronger that steel by weight but not by volume.

[APersonOfEarth]

CALL THEM WHAT THEY ARE!!!
INDUSTRIAL LEGOS

[ASHFX]

Gotta take into account weather damage as well. Plastics tend to not do so well in austere conditions of extreme heat, cold, or sun exposure.

[Jaronius]

3 challenges to overcome. Thermal expansion, toxic smoke if burnt, and UV degradation. Props for doing something with colored plastics that are very difficult to recycle.

[TheMightyKingzuru]

As a firefighter I already see endless problems with plastic bricks

[SuS_NuG_It]

What a lot of people don't seem to understand is that you're not building with cinder blocks, you're stacking cinder blocks and then filling them with grout. It makes him a lot stronger. And quite frequently they'll have rebar running up through the middle as well, making it stronger still. The goal isn't to be stronger than a lone cinder block, it's to be stronger than a cinder block wall fully constructed, properly.

[joev]

I find it curious that nobody is talking about how when these blocks get worn down by the environment, the plastic will still be polluting things. In other words these bricks are a tad bit redundant, since the whole point is to recycle and upscale plastic and keep the environment as clean as possible. Using reusable products made of environmentally friendly stuff is still light years better than reusable plastic, and we should recognize it as such.

[Testchannel-xrhx]

This is awesome! It's super nice to see people trying to make use of things that would otherwise go to waste and harm the environment

[HogwartsBasement]

They are m more flammable than a concrete block also

[wildguardian]

And the price or production ..and risk of electrical problems causing excessive heat and melting the plastic? Concrete is a insulator.. but plastic on fire is toxic and melts..

[cainanlove]

This seems like a great way to use all of the plastic waste, but what about the effects of degradation over time? Wouldn't the environment get filled with tiny microplastics after a few years? Or maybe this can easily be solved with a gutter around the wall to keep tiny plastic debris from spreading... but then there's the wind, water and problems with over overflowing plastic debris gutters... idk. Plastic just seems to find a way to incorporate itself back into everything.

[everettplummer]

I have found that when HDPE is used as a foam in construction, weight is greatly reduced. I would also like to see how well HDPE is as a bullet stopping medium.

[stumblepuppy]

show me the results of extreme stress testing. Put a load of bricks through a thousand hours of extreme situations, such as getting chilled to -30°C then getting heated to 45°C over and over, getting sand blasted, salt blasted, really put these things through their paces. Test them to destruction. If they don't warp or start falling apart, might have something.

[SICKsty]

One concern I have is that plastic is absolutely not breathable. If all four walls of a room were built with this, there would be no chance for humidity to escape which would create an unhealthy living environment (mouldy, etc).
Also, I imagine UV-rays from sunshine would make the plastic brittle over time and bleach the colour.
It‘s a cool idea that’s easy to get excited about (and kudos for actually pushing it forward!) but I don’t know if it’s really all that practical at the end of the day

[JT-sibl]

Testing materials, proof of concept, all excellent work. I wish the JSO team would get on board... and perhaps their donors too.

[jakefromspace]

This won’t work for housing due to plastic’s tendency to bend however I can see a stack of these being covered in concrete to make a soft barricade for a motor vehicle to crash into. It would help in repairing the barricade itself if it’s liable to be frequently damaged, that way there’s limited loss of life and property damage and a few more bricks, a mould and quickcrete can have a barrier back up immediately the day after the accident. I actually see the plastic bricks as a sacrificial break point to minimize property damage.

[rivsarredicoinen]

They're giant legos good for assembling a floor of an exterior deck, a shed, but not a house.
Lastly they're also going to contribute to the growing plastic issue.

[Recycling_Bin_]

seems like a recipe for even more microplastics in the air

[linda]

I designed a deck and was told to use composite 2 x 4’s. It turned out beautiful! Just think: no warping, no fading, no splinters, no replacing it after so many years and the fact it won’t fade or turn colors was a plus! It’s the future. Well done gentlemen. Go bigger! ♥️