Reuse and recycled of plastics: an opportunity for the construction and the urban equipment

The plastic materials are in continuous growth, being his world-wide production of 280 million tonnes in 2011 and expects that it keep growing in the next years; an important figure, more still if we think in the ligereza of these materials. This property is one of the causantes of this growth of the materials, that present generally an inferior density to the traditional materials, that increasingly are substituted by plastic materials.

Although this is not the only reason, could stand out besides: good procesabilidad, easy design, and properties very miscellaneous that allow to develop material to measure (conductive, insulating, fragile, hard, malleable, elastic, etc.).

The sector of the construction, with roughly 20% of the total consumption of plastic materials is the second sector after the one of the container-packaging. In this sector find plastic materials in very diverse applications: from bridges and buildings (inside the own structure with the thermostable materials like resins epoxi, polyester, etc.) going through the interior of buildings (insulating materials, driving of electricity, canaletas, pipes, etc.) until for example urban equipment (cones, fences, roofs, papeleras, etc.).

Why the use of the plastic in this sector? The reasons are very miscellaneous, but the properties that do it ideal are his length and resistance to the corrosion, thermal sensors and acoustic insulation, and his low cost of production and maintenance. Besides they are hygienic and clean, allow an aesthetic finishing and are environingingmentally safe.

One of the challenges of the plastic materials in this sector is to improve the end of his useful life. More than 40% of the plastic waste that generate annually in Spain go to the dump. It is necessary to follow working in the environingingmental improvement and especially in fulfilling the designated hierarchy of plastic waste: prevention (prioritaria), reduction of waste (so much in quantity as in possible dangerousness), manufacturing for the reuse, recycled, promotion of another type of valorisation (included the energetic). The final aim is to avoid the tank in the dump or the incineration without energetic recovery.

In the work of how improve these appearances in the sector of the construction, find two projects of R&D llevar in Spain. The first of them is Polimix, a subsidized investigation by the European Union inside the program LIFE+, through the cual has developed a stretch of road where have employed different plastic waste. In concrete, have done 4 different stretches, of half kilometre each one, with waste of Polietileno (PE) pertinent of containers, waste of Poliestireno (PS) pertinent of hangers, waste of rubber from tyres out of use and waste of Polietileno (PE) and Polipropileno (PP) from caps of container. This road was built and inaugurated in September of 2012 in Madrid and the results obtained until the moment (proofs of laboratory and pilot plant) show that the bituminous mixes modified fulfil with the valid rule PG-3 referents among others to the sensitivity to the water or to track of laboratory, presenting a better behaviour in front of the permanent deformations of the plastics of the firm. This improvement supposes an increase in the essay of rodadura regarding the mix of reference (that it does not carry waste).

The result is an increase of the useful life of the plastic materials and a direct economic improvement in the maintenance of the roads.

With the already done road and in full operation is monitoring his structural behaviour: fatigue to the downward type, permanent deformation, deterioration under the effect of the water, evolution of the module of elastic rigidity and of the module resiliente and learning of ruts.

The University of Cantabria, Acciona and the Community of Madrid and Aimplas have participated in this project whose results will serve to show the feasibility of the use of these materials by means of results of a real experience with traffic.

Another investigation that opens new doors to the plastic in the sector of the construction is Echo-rubber. Through this project funded by the program Echo-innovation has achieved develop a bolardo manufactured with rubber recycled (between a 60 and 90%), without any type of ligante, what will make possible to go back to recycle it.

This bolardo presents advantages in front of others: it absorbs impacts by what is 4 safer times in front of accident by collision of pedestrians and cyclists, besides is more flexible, by what produces lower friction in the vehicles and minimises his rayado.

The bolardo has a logo that allows to the final user know that it has been realised with material recycled, communicating like this the environingingmental advantages. These appearances are very important in the green public purchase.

Besides is important to signal that the productive process developed is reproducible in a wide rank of transformative industries of rubber and in a big variety of applications and other products of urban equipment like protective barriers of parking or systems of reduction of speed in roads. This project has been developed by Recipneau, Berlá, IBV and Aimplas.

The plastic and the rubber are therefore material key in the sector of the construction and it is necessary to follow working to improve his properties and look for new applications through the recycled and the reuse. The sector of the construction can give a second life to plastic materials giving place to sustainable products, with good technical specifications and economically viable.