Environmentally Sustainable Green Concrete Blocks and Bricks Utilizing Plastic Waste: An Innovative Solid Waste Management and Cost-Effective Construction Material Practice

Abstract

This study examines the affordability and ecological viability of using plastic garbage to produce green concrete blocks and bricks. According to the research conducted, adding plastic trash to certain substances for construction causes significant modifications to their characteristics. In particular, the bricks' compressive strength falls by more than half as the plastic percentage rises from 0% to 15%. Furthermore, more plastic means less water being absorbed, meaning green bricks use less water than regular ones. With no difference between the controlled and 10% plastic samples, the flexural strength decreases at 5% and 15% plastic content. Slump values are lowered due to the rise in plastic trash, which lowers workability. However, the water-absorbing decrease stays within reasonable bounds; therefore, the bricks' ability to withstand weathering is maintained. Last but not least, at 5% plastic content, the compressive strength of green concrete blocks dramatically drops; at 10% and 15%, the decline is relatively small. These results demonstrate the possibility of employing plastic trash in buildings, provided that material property compromises are carefully considered.