Despite the efforts of many companies to make the world more sustainable, millions of tons of plastic are still produced every year and left to drift away, affecting the environment; but at the same time, there are several entrepreneurs who want to reuse these materials with the use of technology for different needs of society.
One of the solutions recently unveiled is Blockers, a machine that has the ability to compact large amounts of waste without the need for sorting or cleaning, to produce millions of plastic blocks that can be used in fields such as construction.
ByFusion, a company based in Los Angeles, US, said it is using such machines to do compression and vaporisation processes without the need for careful selection of materials to be reused.
The 'ByBlocks' are lighter than concrete or reinforced concrete, but according to the company, they are just as durable. Although the blocks have an innovative application, they are not new to the market, only that the technology is now being applied with the Blockers which are already patented.
Another advantage of the innovation is that its material is not limited to one construction sector, as it has the capacity and resistance to be used in houses, walls, bus stops, among others, although the company recommends coating the constructions with a resistant paint designed for exteriors due to the fact that many of the plastics used in the process can be susceptible to sunlight.
ByFusion currently has a Blocker at its central plant, which has the capacity to process up to 450 tonnes of plastic per year.
Now, plans to contribute to sustainability are to distribute its compactors on a large scale so that other companies, and even local authorities, can produce the plastic bricks they need from discarded materials.
The steaming and compacting process does not require any chemicals, glue or additives, and the waste material is reused 100 %, i.e. the weight of the block in kilos will be exactly the weight of the waste used.
Nowadays there are more companies that take advantage of waste, for example, Muzzycycles is a Brazilian company that produces bicycles whose chassis is made from recycled PET bottles, making them lighter and cheaper to produce, and they promise a 100-year product guarantee.
Another example is a company in the Netherlands, PlasticRoad, whose main task is to build road modules from recycled plastic, having the advantage of being "hollow" roads where pipes and cables can be easily installed. Currently, the first bicycle lane was built with such plastic modules in the city of Zwolle.
