Abstract
This paper is an investigation of plastic pollution and the role construction plastic waste plays in the problem. Plastic pollution is a growing global crisis and is devastating the Earth. Architecture and construction sadly largely contribute to the plastic pollution issue. There are many policies in place for the construction industry to attempt to regulate building waste and plastic, but the move towards zero plastic waste is urgent. Architects and the construction industry need to move towards a circular economy for reducing plastic pollution. Our current economic system is based on a “throw away” society which is exhausting our natural resources. Plastic is thrown away into the sea, buried underground or burned to ashes as a material that is seen to having no value. However, plastic waste should be valued as a free resource to encourage a circular flow of economy activity where plastic is up cycled into various materials and products throughout architecture.
This dissertation will seek to investigate and examine existing government policies regarding plastic pollution and plastic construction waste. The findings of the paper will be the scale of the plastic pollution crisis. This paper will conclude by, conducting strategies that architects can use in order to reduce the amount of plastic pollution within in the construction industry and specify up cycled and recycled plastic within architecture.
GLOSSARY
Circular Used in the context of the circular economy; circular is a system where resource input and waste is minimised by closing the material loop. This is done by materials repair, reuse, recycling, maintenance and up cycling.
Linear Used in the context of the linear economy; linear refers to any process that follows the straight line of take, make and dispose. Once a material has been used for its original purpose it is thrown away.
Gyres A large circulation ocean current
Plastic Polymers that include thermoplastics, polyurethanes, thermosets, elastomers, adhesives, coatings and sealants and PP fibres.
Plastic Pollution The accumulation of plastic waste in the environment that affects wildlife, nature and humans
Recycle Process of reprocessing waste plastic into useful products.
Resin A natural or synthetic solid or viscous organic polymer used as the basis for plastics.
Up Cycle Reusing a material to create a higher quality product than the original.
Introduction
Plastic is a manufacturer’s ideal material. It is inexpensive, water resistant, strong and light in weight. Plastic is used widely in the building and construction industry as it helps meet ambitious targets for energy efficiency, reduces costs and require minimal maintenance. However, plastic pollution is a human-caused global crisis which adversely affects wildlife, nature and humans. It is killing 100,000 marine mammals annually (The Ocean Conference, United Nations, 2017) and leaking toxic chemicals which can be found in nearly all oceans. In 2050 it’s expected for there to be more plastic than fish in the ocean (Ellen MacArthur,World Economic Forum Report, 2016). The crisis is on such a large scale that all five ocean gyres are packed with plastic (Laurent C. M. Lebreton,“Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic,”March 2018). The biggest one “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” which is twice the size of Texas (Pierre Augie, The Great Ocean Clean up, 2018) and is being ignored by political leaders. The building and construction sector are the second largest consumer in the plastic market (Reconstruct,WRAP,p.2.), second to packaging, and their need for plastic is increasing. In 2016, the construction industry produced 200,000 tonnes of plastic waste (Stephen Cousins,”How Can Construction Kick its Plastics Habit,” 2018). Only 8% of plastic is recycled worldwide (Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, Plastic Pollution, 2018) with the rest accumulating into landfills or natural environment. Construction plastic waste is largely contributing to the global crisis as it heavily relies on single-use plastic. However, there is a gradual move towards zero waste construction and architects are developing innovative ways to use recycled plastic just not at the same rate plastic pollution is growing. Architects should be part of the solution, not the problem.
The motivation for my research comes from a hobby of mine; scuba diving. I have been diving for three years and I have completed over fifty dives. I have worked for a marine conservation project for a month where we studied the coral reef, marine life and the effects of pollution. We carried out Dive Against Debris (DAD) dives, for Project Aware, where we would pick up pollution on our adopted dive sites. The amount of plastic we collected was staggering and really upsetting to me. Humans were essentially killing a beautiful coral reef and marine life by inconsiderately throwing away plastic instead of recycling. This experience made me want to explore a connection between my architectural studies and the international plastic pollution crisis.
Problem statement
This dissertation will investigate how architects should specify recycled plastic as a resource within all possible aspects of a building to help reduce plastic pollution and the necessity to move towards a plastic circular economy within architecture and construction waste. It will also investigate policies regarding plastic pollution and plastic construction waste and ways the government can help construction achieve zero plastic waste. As architects, we should be aware of the global plastic pollution crisis and help to raise awareness. Plastic pollution is wreaking the Earth and construction plastic waste is a large contributor to this devastation. Plastic ocean waste is creating islands bigger than states (Pierre Augie, The Great Ocean Clean up, 2018), whales dying of starving due to shallowing 64 pounds of plastic (Joe McCarthy, Global Citizen, April 2018), plastic micro-particles found in drinking water in five continents (Damian Carrington, Environment Editor, September 2017) – change must occur. This dissertation will research and critique policies regarding plastic pollution and plastic construction waste. It will also research strategies on how to reduce and prevent plastic pollution in the hope of becoming a zero plastic waste industry. An investigation of how architects should see waste as a valuable resource and stop adding to the problem with construction waste.
RESEARCH AIM
This dissertation aims to examine plastic pollution and the shear size of the problem. By raising awareness it will amplify the scale of the global crisis.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Review any current government policies regarding plastic pollution and plastic construction waste.
Conduct case studies based on current up cycled plastic materials used within architecture.
Develop a guide for architects to use within a project to specify recycled and up cycled plastic materials and products and a guide on how to reduce plastic construction waste.
RESEARCH Questions
How has the construction industry responded to plastic pollution?
What are the current problems preventing construction achieving zero plastic waste?
What examples are there of up cycled plastic materials that have been successful within architecture?
What is the process of up cycling plastic into building materials?
Can circular economy ideology be translated to plastic pollution and plastic construction waste?
What will the future look like for zero plastic waste construction and up cycled plastic within architecture?
RESEARCH METHODS
Primary methods in this body of research will be an extensive desk study of reviewing existing literature. An investigation will be carried out on current government policies relating to plastic pollution and plastic construction waste. Secondary methods will be an in-depth analysis of reports and case studies of up cycled plastic materials used within architecture.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Building From Waste, Recovered Materials in Architecture and Construction written by Dirk E. Hebel, Marta H. Wisniewska and Felix Heisel identifies how to achieve a sustainable economy and explores conceptual and practical waste materials within construction. This book will be relevant as it explains in depth the need to change to a metabolic economy and its connection with modern architecture. Within the chapter Circular Economy, it explains the term “cradle to cradle” created by Walter R. Stahel. His former students and architects John T. Lyle and William Braungart developed this to be applied to industrial and commercial processes so that materials are never thrown away as having no value. Towards the end of the book, the last section determines innovative concepts to use waste as a new material within construction. There are a couple of plastic waste materials listed for example, Recy Blocks constructed from plastic bags which can be used for walls or other structures. Another example is Byfusion Bricks made from 100% post-consumer unsorted plastic which shredded and moulded into a solid block and can be used to build a maximum of three stories. This book does not cover construction plastic waste and what it can be up cycled into.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
The expected outcomes for this dissertation will be that certain plastics will be easier than others for the use of up cycling for building materials and products. Some plastics will have stronger material values and therefore will be more desirable for a structural element. Whilst other plastics will be more expensive and difficult to recycle in the first place, therefore cannot be used. Overall, up cycling plastic within architecture will have a positive impact on the environment and reduce plastic pollution.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Braungart, M and McDonough, W. (2013). The Upcycle. Beyond sustainability – Designing for abundance. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.
The Upclyce is a follow-up of Cradle to Cradle and is used a framework of body for this book. The authors look at human’s role on the Earth and how to redesign our activity in order to achieve a green future. The book is a platform for innovation design strategies and how products can have a positive impact to the environment.
Braungart, M. and Mcdonough, W. (2009). Cradle to Cradle. 2nd ed. London: Vintage
Cradle to Cradle is a framework for a revolutionary sustainable business strategy. The authors study Reduce, Reuse and Recycle process of designing dating back to the industrial revolution and created a biomimetic approach to design. The authors propose for materials to be produced with value which will lead to less waste, creating a circular economy.
Donnelley, R. (2010). Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, The new plastics economy: Rethinking the future of plastics & Catalysing action, (2017), http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications.
Hebel, D., Wisniewska, M. and Heisel, F. (2014). Building from Waste: Recovered Materials in Architecture and Construction.
Building From Waste identifies the connection between circular economy, waste and architecture.
Kara, H., Asensio Villoria, L. and Georgoulias, A. (2017). Architecture and Waste. A (Re)Planned Obsolescence. Barcelona: Actar D Editorial.
Knight, G. (2013). Plastic pollution. London: Raintree.
Lund, H. (2001). The McGraw-Hill recycling handbook. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
The McGraw-Hill recycling handbook covers every product and material’s up to date procedure of processing, recycling and the technology. There is a chapter focused on plastic which covers a brief history and introduction to plastic recycling and different categories of plastic. It goes into detail explaining the five necessary parts for successful recycling plastic; collection, process, reclaimers, end users and customers. The chapter also goes into depth about the difference in molecular levels of plastic and the problems of recycling plastic.
WRAP (2016) Plastics market situation report WRAP: Banbury
World Economic Forum, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and McKinsey & Company, The New Plastics Economy — Rethinking the future of plastics (2016, http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications).