[edit] Building with waste.

[edit] Introduction

The importance of recycling and reducing waste due to overfilling of landfill sites and dumping of waste in the oceans. However, no matter what initiatives are put forward; the problem appears to be getting worse.

[edit] The issues

[edit] Plastic Waste in Ocean

In 2010; National Geographic estimated that eight million tons of plastic waste ended up in the ocean that year. Gathering data is difficult due to the overwhelming mass of plastic that is currently adrift in our oceans and an estimation could fall short of the reality so a focus should be placed on how the plastic waste is affecting our planet.

Barrier reefs are currently being ravaged by plastic. Wildlife is regularly found dead due to ingesting plastic or being trapped or suffocated by plastic waste.

To preserve our planet, action must be taken.

[edit] Waste Caused by Construction

The construction industry recognises that construction produces too much waste. The UK generated 120.6 million tonnes of waste was generated by the construction industry in 2014 accounting to 59.4% of the total waste produced by the UK of which, less than half of which was recycled. These statistics show great inefficiencies in the construction processes of the UK.

To decrease these inefficiencies within the industry, action must be taken.

[edit] Increasing needs for cheaper sustainable materials

As the human population increases; there is a higher demand for building materials in order to accommodate all of those who require housing. Already, in the UK, there is an overwhelming need for affordable housing which is struggling to be built to meet the demand. There are many in need of this housing including the growing homeless population.

To help these people that are in need, action must be taken in order to find a cheap and environmentally friendly material to build affordable housing from.

[edit] The Idea

Methods are now available where plastic can be recycled into building blocks. These methods use a process of compression and moulding using non-toxic materials.

My idea is to use a process of removing plastic waste from the sea and converting the plastic into building blocks. This could be achieved through a process similar to the method to fishing.

A commercial ship could be used. On board would be one of the machines that converts the plastic into building blocks. The ships would then gather the plastic in nets from the huge rubbish patches in the sea convert them while at sea and once the boat is full of plastic blocks, the ship would sail back to the shore to sell the blocks as a cheap, plastic-negative, alternative to materials that have a high carbon-footprint.