Processed with any type of plastic, RePlast blocks could be the future of sustainable construction
Blocks are made of any type of plastic.
More than 300 million tons of garbage are produced each year in the United States, while only 8% of that is recycled and 12 million tons of that total ends up in the ocean. The startup ByFusion is developing technology to try to alleviate the problem, turning plastic into dense blocks that can be used in construction.
The process of transforming these plastics into blocks is very interesting. The equipment to make these changes is relatively small and portable (it fits in a container of cargo ships), emits virtually nothing carbon in the process and the size and density of the blocks, called Replast , can be adjusted.
Challenge
Most people are not aware that there are seven types of plastics. However, due to high processing costs, toxicity, safety concerns and potential for contamination, only three types (1-3) are typically processed. However, even commonly processed plastic must first be sorted and cleaned and must often be sent to processing centers far from its collection point in the waste chain.
THE ByFusion accepted the challenge of doing something different by designing a system that can process all types of plastic waste, individually or mixed (clean or contaminated).
sustainable blocks
The “bricks” made of plastic can be easily stacked, using metal bars and covered with adobe - the end result is practically identical to conventional walls. The company describes the Replast as “almost 100% carbon-free and non-toxic manufacturing process”, and says that bricks can help improve the status of eco-friendly of new constructions.
No need for glue or adhesive tape, the blocks Replast can be the next step in sustainable construction.
