GLASS AND PLASTIC WASTE AS A SUBSTITUTE MATERIALS

FOR MAKING BRICKS

Palad, Chester Mikhail

Peren, Angelica M.

Perez, Azea Krislene B.

Perez, Crishza Jean P.

Perez, Gracie Nalyn D.

 CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

Man has used brick for building purpose for thousands of years. Bricks date back to
7000 BC, which makes them one of the oldest known building materials. They were
discovered in southern Turkey at the site of an ancient settlement around the city of
Jericho. The first bricks, made in areas with warm climates, were mud bricks dried in the sun
for hardening. Bricks from a similar time frame - between 7000 and 3500 BC - have been
discovered in other areas of the middle east and the Persian Gulf, around the Tigris region.
Air dried, mudbrick houses have also been found in Pakistan and other areas of south Asia.
Ancient Egyptian ruins show that they also used sundried bricks using clay, mixed with
straw. Bricks didn't all originate from one place necessarily. Bricks have been discovered
popping up in many different locations around the world simultaneously. And not just the
mud brick kind. Fired bricks have been excavated in China that appear to have been made
between around 4000 - 3000 BC. On the other hand, the Aztec civilizations of central
America, cut off from the rest of the world, were making and using sundried Adobe brick,
also made with straw, in the 15th century. They used the bricks to build many of the Aztec
pyramids which are still standing today. The introduction of brick firing drastically increased
the rate of production, allowing bricks to be made ahead of time and stored. It also meant
they could be made and used all year round and in cooler climates. The Romans made good
use of fired brick for everything from forts and cultural centres to simple arches, vaults and
more. With the creation of mobile kilns, they were able to spread brick production to the rest
of the country and eventually across the empire. Much of Europe's early brick buildings can
be traced back to the Romans. When the empire fell, so did the production of brick. As a
result, it retreated mostly back to Italy and the Byzantine empire. However, in the 11th and
12th centuries it began to spread back into France and Germany.

As industrialization and urbanization of cities continued other methods of building

began to come in, particularly with the increase of cement-based building materials like
concrete. There was a financial and structural limit to how high brick buildings could go so
bigger skyscrapers began to move away from using brick. Since the 1960's brick production
has essentially halved and is now mainly used to build housing. Brick plays very important
role in the field of civil engineering construction. Bricks are used as an alternative of stones
in construction purpose. Bricks should be uniform in color, size and shape. Standard size of
brick should be maintained. They should be sound and compact. They should be free from
cracks and other flaws such as air bubbles, stone nodules etc. with sharp and square edges.
According to Civiltoday, bricks should not absorb more than 1⁄5 of their own weight of water
when immersed in water for 24 hours (15% to 20% of dry weight). The compressive strength
of bricks should be in range of 2000 to 5000 psi (15 to 35 MPa). Salt attack hampers the
durability of brick. The presence of excess soluble salts in brick also causes efflorescence.
The percentage of soluble salts (sulphates of calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium)
should not exceed 2.5% in brunt bricks. Brick should not change in volume when wetted.
Bricks should neither overburnt nor under-brunt. Generally, the weight per brick should be 6
lbs. and the unit weight should be less than 125 lbs. per cubic ft. The thermal conductivity of
bricks should be low as it is desirable that the building built with them should be cool in
summer and warm in winter. Bricks should be sound proof. Bricks should be non-
inflammable and incombustible. Bricks should be free from lime pitting.

Background of the Study

Glass and plastic recycling are the processing of waste materials into usable products.
They can be reused as building blocks. These insulating materials can be used to make
furniture, garden walls, and other structures, among other things. Plastic and glass waste
usually breaks down into pieces because of the temperature and other substances that are in
that waste and contaminates the area where it is thrown away, but in this research, we can
prevent this. Take plastic garbage, mix it with sand from which glass is made, and mix it with
cement, resulting in a brick that is five to seven times stronger than concrete. This new
recycling method and new composites are an important step forward in making sustainable
construction materials.

In Journal of Waste Resources and Recycling (2020), Due to their low cost, simplicity
in manufacturing, and appealing properties, plastic and glass play a significant role in
contemporary culture and are employed frequently in a variety of applications. Only
approximately 25% of the 300 million tons of plastic produced annually across the world is
recycled. Each year, an estimated 7 million tons of rubbish wind up in the ocean, posing
serious environmental and health risks to fish and other marine life. Modern society has a
major environmental challenge from plastic garbage since it contains various harmful
substances that, if not properly managed, can pollute the soil, water, and air. However, by
converting waste plastic into mortar and concrete products suited for housing and building,
the proportion of recycled plastic can be raised. Using waste plastic in making construction
materials such as bricks and concrete blocks is advantageous due to its light weight, extreme
versatility, and ability to be tailored to meet specific technical needs. Also, replacing cement
with waste plastic will reduce environmental problems associated with the disposal of waste
plastic and glass, as well as those associated with the cement industry. All the brick samples
incorporating different waste materials satisfy the minimum compressive strength and
modulus of rupture requirements for building bricks and can be used in a moderate weather-
resistant environment, leading to sustainable masonry construction. Furthermore, bottles
filled with mixed inorganic waste, have become a low cost construction material and a valid
recycling method to reduce waste disposal in regions where industrial recycling is not yet
available. Bricks that made from waste are filled with mixed recovered materials, potential
recycling of its constituents is difficult at the end of its life.

  The increase in the popularity of using environmentally friendly, low cost and
lightweight construction materials in building industry has brought about the need to
investigate how this can be achieved by benefiting the environment as well as maintaining the
material requirements affirmed in the standard. Recycling of waste generated from industrial
and agricultural activities as building materials appears to be viable solution not only to such
pollution problem but also to the problem of economic design of buildings (Perez JA et al,
1996). Brick belongs to the wide family of construction materials since it is mainly used for
the construction of outer and inner walls in buildings. The brick industry is the most indicated
technological activity sector to absorb solid waste due to the large quantity of raw material
used by the sector as well as by the large volume of final products in construction (Andreola
et. al, 2005).

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the potential of glass and plastic waste as substitute
materials for making bricks.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the durability of Eco bricks in terms of;

1.1. Load Applied
1.2. Texture
2. Is there a significance in the strength of the bricks in terms of;
2.1. Mixture
2.2. Curing time

Hypothesis

1. There is no significance in the strenght of the bricks in terms of mixture and curing
time.

Theoretical framework

The physical properties of glass are direct consequences of its non- crystal line
structure. The structure is described from a topological point of view, since topology is the
only geometry surviving no crystallinity, i.e., absence of metric and trivial space group. This
fact has two main consequences: the overall homogeneity of glass is a gauge symmetry, and
the only extended, structurally stable constituents are odd lines (or 2v disclinations in the
elastic continuum limit). A gauge theory of glass, based on odd lines as sources of frozen -in
strain, can explain those properties of glasses which are both specific to, and universal in
amorphous solids: low-temperature excitations, and relaxation at high temperatures. The
methods of statistical mechanics can be applied to give a minimal description of amorphous
structures in statistical equilibrium. Criteria for statistical equilibrium of the structure and
detailed balance are given, together with structural equations of state, which turn out to be
well-known empirically among botanists and metallurgists. This review is based on lectures
given in 1984 in Niteroi. It contains five parts: I - Structure, from a topological viewpoint; II -
Gauge invariance; III - Tunneling modes; IV- Supercooled liquid and the glass transition; V -
Statistical crystallography.

In relation to this topic, our research is related to this theory because it provides
information about the glass. Also, described that glass may use for making bricks that brings
something new, interesting, and inspiring to all of us in the community or society. The bricks
by using the glass as substitute material are eco-friendly that is very useful to everyone and
explains that it is efficient eco-friendly bricks which will be liked by each of individuals.
Bricks are convenient to produce and use because they are made from locally available
sustainable waste materials which is plastic, and we can also use especially the glass. The
glass is a great heat insulator and does not dissolve easily. It anchored on the waste materials
by being eco-friendly brick so that we can help to reduce the waste in specific place and it
promote the recycling materials. This addressed the bricks so the researchers focused on
making and identifying the durability, strength, and texture of it.

Research Paradigm

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Glass and Plastic

Glass
Waste as Substitute
And
Materials for
Plastic Waste
Making Bricks

Figure 1: Independent and Dependent Variable model about the potential of glass and
plastic waste as a substitute materials for making bricks

Figure no. 1 shows the dependent and independent variable, the independent variable
is Glass and Plastic Waste, and the dependent variable is the Substitute Materials for making
bricks. The researchers make this as independent variable because this is constant or no one
can change it. On the other hand, the dependent variable is the substitute materials for making
bricks because it is dependent on the independent variable.

Scope and limitation

Scope:
The focus of this study is  all about the potential of glass and plastic waste as
substitute materials for making bricks. It seeks to determine how non-hazardous
wastes like plastic, and glass bottles can be used to produce bricks that are both
efficient and high-quality. The researcher waited for a week, and then it tested and
observe the load of bricks after three days, five days, and seven days.

Limitation:
This study will be conducted at Sitio Sampaga langka, Brgy. Tumbaga 2 Sariaya
Quezon for it is where the researcher are live. It will be conducted by the researchers
because they would provide more dependable responses as they are more affected
by the experience.

Significance of the Study

The study on the Glass and Plastic Waste as a substitute material for making bricks is
significant and beneficial to the following:

To the Environment, the result of this study can help the environment because
reclaimed bricks are also an environmentally friendly option because they are a form of
unprocessed recycling. Not only will their use reduce the needless production of new
materials and emissions, but it will also reduce landfill waste. Many demolished building
materials are discarded; however, by reusing these bricks, can help to reduce this unnecessary
source of waste. Greenhouse gases are emitted during the landfill processing process.
Reusing and recycling bricks reduces the landfill process by lowering greenhouse gas
emissions, which is a step toward combating the causes of climate change. When no new
bricks are produced, the energy used to process landfills is saved, and water usage is reduced.

To the Future Researcher, the result of this study can provide them further
understanding or ideas about recycled bricks that will give the rise of using recycled bricks
even more. Recycled bricks can be an excellent building material for a variety of projects.
The weathered appearance that old, reused bricks provide is nearly impossible to achieve
artificially. As a result, recycled bricks are in high demand in areas where an antique and
worn appearance is desired. Apart from that, reclaimed bricks are used in new construction,
remodeling, small building projects, fireplaces, walls, and boundaries. Reclaimed bricks can
also be used to build walking paths, landscaping projects, patios, or artistic projects.

To the Industry, the result of the study can provide them major opportunity for
enhancing manufacturing and construction benefits for making recycled bricks. Making
recycled bricks is less landfill use inevitably means less landfill tax. Recycled building
materials are also less expensive to purchase. There is an assumption that sustainable
practices are expensive. Going green in construction is better for your business. Recycled
bricks are thought to be 20% less expensive than new bricks. Eliminate the need to mine and
quarry by using used bricks, and also significantly reduce the resources required to process a
landfill.
To the Community, the findings of this study will broaden the community's understanding of
recycled bricks as a component of Mansory construction. Masonry is widely used to build
small and large structures due to its appealing appearance, low maintenance, safety (fire
resistance and wind/earthquake resistance), and economy. It is also non-combustible, which
improves fire protection for the building and its occupants. For the same reason, masonry
fireplaces are popular. Masonry is extremely resistant to rot, pests, weather, and natural
disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. In addition to being competitively priced in
comparison to other building materials, concrete masonry distinguishes itself from the
competition when benefits such as energy efficiency, low maintenance, sustainability, and
green building properties are considered. Masonry-built communities not only look better,
but they also last longer. Masonry requires less maintenance than stucco, wood, or siding, and
it uses re-usable and recyclable green materials. Masonry structures can last for decades and
still look brand new.
 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the systematic and
extensive search done by the researcher. This will also present a synthesis of the art, to fully
comprehend the research to be finished.

Related Studies

The study of Raut & Gomez (2017) in the Development of thermally efficient fiber-
based eco-friendly brick reusing locally available waste materials where stated that this paper
attempts to reduce the dependence on non-eco-friendly insulation material by developing
thermally efficient eco-friendly bricks. The prototype brick developed by incorporating
locally available sustainable waste material was subjected to initial investigation on physical,
mechanical, thermal and microscopic studies. The investigations revealed that the thermally
efficient prototype mix design using glass powder and palm oil fly ash along with lime as
binder is able to provide strength to the bricks. The advantage of the proposed bricks is two-
fold: having low thermal conductivity will make it an energy efficient option, second is the
usage of sustainable resources makes it an eco-friendly product. It focuses on development of
thermally efficient wall material for hot and humid climate. Physical, mechanical and thermal
performance of newly developed bricks is assessed. Microstructural examination is
performed to understand interaction between the raw materials.

Based on this study, waste materials can be used to make bricks. They created the
prototype brick by incorporating locally available sustainable waste material, which
was subjected to physical, mechanical, thermal, and microscopic studies. According to the
findings of the studies, glass powder can provide strength to bricks.

The study Zhang (2013) Bricks are a widely used construction and building material
around the world. Conventional bricks are produced from clay with high temperature kiln
firing or from ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete, and thus contain high embodied
energy and have large carbon footprint. In many areas of the world, there is already a
shortage of natural source material for production of the conventional bricks. For
environmental protection and sustainable development, extensive research has been
conducted on production of bricks from waste materials. The possible reasons are related to
the methods for producing bricks from waste materials, the potential contamination from the
waste materials used, the absence of relevant standards, and the slow acceptance of waste
materials-based bricks by industry and public. For wide production and application of bricks
from waste materials, further research and development is needed, not only on the technical,
economic and environmental aspects but also on standardization, government policy and
public education related to waste recycling and sustainable development.

According to Zhang (2013)'s research, construction materials are very consumable

around the world, and there is already a shortage of natural resources for the production of
conventional bricks. He investigated the possibility of using waste materials to make
concrete. This is related to our study because he/she studies the possible creation of waste
when it comes to construction materials that are similar to our study. The difference is that
we only use plastic and glass to make bricks.

The study of Ursua (2019) analyzed the possibility of utilizing plastic wastes, glass
bottles, and shredded paper in making quality sand bricks since building materials are costly.
For a lot of people, solid waste reduction has been a challenge. Utilizing solid wastes to make
an ecofriendly and advantageous building material is one way to reduce solid wastes. The
researcher endeavored to produce an eco-brick using sand ranging from fifty-five percent
(55%) to sixty-five percent (65%) by weight, plastics ranging from twenty-nine percent
(29%) to thirty-nine percent (39%) by weight, five percent (5%) crushed glass bottles, and
one percent (1%) shredded paper. Various tests such as compression test, water absorption
test, efflorescence test, and hardness test were carried out to assess the efficacy of brick
specimens. The water absorption on the different brick specimens revealed that the
absorption was less than twenty percent (20%) keeping it in good quality. Based on the
impression made, all of the sand brick specimens were considered “Hard”. Thus, utilizing
non-hazardous solid waste materials in making sand bricks could be a potential alternative as
building material. It is also a workable initiative to combat issues on solid wastes.

According to this study, waste can be used to make bricks, which will also help nature
reduce solid waste. Researchers attempt to make an eco-brick out of sand and calculate the
amount that the researcher will be used, and discover that it is of high quality. This study is
related to our study because researchers attempt to make a brick out of various waste
materials such as paper, glass bottles, plastic waste, and so on.

The study of N Sudharsan (2018) that the Bricks are considered to be a very effective
and well-established construction material having been of long duration. Natural soil is the
predominant raw material for the manufacturing of bricks. Due to the scarcity of raw
materials, it is necessitate finding the alternate material to overcome the environmental and
sustainability challenges. Out of other potential waste materials, fly ash is a byproduct from
burning pulverized coal in electric power generating plants and Ground-granulated blast-
furnace slag (GGBS or GGBFS) is obtained by quenching molten iron slag (a by-product of
iron and steel-making) from a blast furnace in water or steam, to produce a glassy, granular
product that is then dried and ground into a fine powder. Also, the disposal of waste glass is
an environmental issue as waste glass causes disposal problem. By keeping view, the
Environmental sustainability issues, those waste materials are tried to utilize in the brick
manufacturing in the recent past.

This study initially stated that brick is an important construction material. Due to the
lack of materials to make it, it looked for a new material to make it and it is made from
environmental waste. It is also said that glass is a big environmental issue, so in recent times
attempts have been made to make bricks from it. This study is related to our study because
glass waste is what we will use in our study to make a brick. The difference is that we will
mix it with plastic waste.

The study of Mohammadinia et al. (2019), The increasing rate of waste generation
and the consequent environmental penalties of landfilling waste glass and waste plastic need
global attention to pursue innovative sustainable industrial applications that can divert these
wastes from landfills for useful construction activities. Their study entails incorporating
recycled plastic waste (RPW) and recycled crushed glass (RCG) as coarse aggregate
replacement in concrete mixture and to evaluate its feasibility as concrete footpath
construction. The coarse aggregates in concrete were replaced by RPW and RCG aggregates
in proportions of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% was investigated. The properties of
concrete evaluated in this study include uniaxial strength, tensile strength and capillary water
uptake. Results from this investigation showed that incorporation of RPW and RCG in
concrete can be a viable solution for the recycling of plastic waste and crushed glass in
industrial applications. Although, the compressive and splitting tensile strength values of the
concrete samples containing RPW and RCG aggregate were found to be reduced due to low
adhesion between the recycled aggregates and the cement gel matrix as well as low aggregate
crushing resistance, coarse aggregate replacement were found to be still viable up to 20% by
volume for RPW and up to 30% by volume for RCG for use in footpath construction.

This study said that the rate of increase of garbage in our environment is increasing,
which results in bad effects. He said here that this waste could be used in construction
activities. What he did was combine recycled plastic waste (RPW) with recycled crushed
glass (RGW) to make a concrete material. He studied it to see how strong it is and how long
it lasts, and he proved that it is an effective concrete material and that it will also be a solution
to reduce waste in our environment.

Related Literature

According to Thomson (2022) Stated that the circular economy offers a solution to
the linear system of “take, make, use, dispose of.” It tries to maintain resources in use for as
long as feasible, optimize their value while they are in use, and recover and regenerate
products when they are no longer useful. Plastic sand bricks and blocks are a fantastic
example of the type of innovation needed to develop a circular economy. As a result,
different initiatives have been made throughout the world, especially in wealthy countries, to
convert plastic trash into valuable items. Since the construction sector rules most economies
and consumes the rawest resources, there is a lot of opportunity for developing new
construction materials from plastic trash. This study discusses current advancements in the
creation of plastic-sand mixtures. Plastic sand bricks are used in a variety of civil engineering
applications, including precast bricks, partition walls, roof tiles, canal linings, and paving
bricks.
 In this citation, the author stated that waste still has benefits and can be used. In other
countries, plastic is widely used. It is also said that plastic sand bricks are used in various
civil engineering applications, including precast bricks, partition walls, roof tiles, canal
lining, and paving bricks. This is related to our topic because it is about plastic waste that has
a value and that we can reuse to make construction materials.

According to  Filiciotto and Rothenberg (2020) Stated that plastics are ubiquitous in
our society. They are in our phones, clothes, bottles, and cars. Yet having improved our lives
considerably, they now threaten our environment and our health. The associated carbon
emissions and persistency of plastics challenge the fragile balance of many ecosystems. One
solution is using biodegradable plastics. Ideally, such plastics are easily assimilated by
microorganisms and disappear from our environment. This can help reduce the problems of
climate change, microplastics, and littering. Using a material flow analysis, the challenges of
the plastic market are highlighted, and with it the large market potential of biodegradable
plastics. The environmental and socio‐economic impact of plastics, government policies,
standards and certifications, physico‐chemical properties, and analytical techniques are
covered.

In this citation, the author stated that garbage is everywhere in our environment that
can damage it and also affect the health of those living in this world, like us humans. The
author also said that there are many ways to avoid this, such as biodegradable plastic and
reusing them. This is related to our topic because plastic waste can be used to usable
products, like our study, the eco bricks, which will also reduce its negative impact on the
environment and living organisms.

According to Mak and Yan Wu , et al. (2021) Stated that  Plastic waste is spread at an
unprecedented speed due to the rapid use of domestic and industrial plastic items. The
environmental pollution resulting from the continued disposal of plastic wastes in landfills
has not only created land problems but has also heightened the pollution of marine resources.
This paper aims to review and investigate the feasibility of utilizing plastic waste in making
construction bricks. The use of plastic waste in making the sand-plastic bricks will enhance
the protection of the environment from the effects of plastic waste that normally takes several
millennials to degrade. Compressive strength (CS) and water absorption tests are found as the
key test methods for measuring the effectiveness of high-volume content of plastic waste in
bricks. Notably, a high percentage of plastic waste in proportion to sand is found to improve
the compressive strength of the bricks besides allowing negligible water to seep through.

In this citation, the author stated that the increase in plastic waste is fast because many
use domestic and industrial things that cause problems on the land and also in the seas. It is
also said here that plastic can be used in construction, because of this, it is related to our
topic.

According to Patnaik and Bezabih, et al. (2022) Stated that the demand for civil
engineering works is inexhaustible. Hence, concrete is in high need which results continuous
demand of concrete constituent materials. One of the ideal solutions to this problem is
replacing concrete constituents by recycled glass in crushed as well as powdered form. This
paper presents the structural performance of concrete with inclusion of crushed glass in
different percentage levels by weight of sand (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%).

The author stated in this citation that concrete materials are needed in civil
engineering works because they may run out, so they considered using recycled glass.
Crushed recycled glass has been found to have good structural performance in concrete. This
is related to our topic because it was seen here that crushed glass is good for making concrete
material.

 
 CHAPTER III

Research Methodology

This chapter presents the methods used by the researcher. It includes the research
design, materials and equipment, procedure, and statistical treatment. These are the methods
and procedures that a researcher used to get sufficient information for this study.

Research Design

This study entitled Glass and Plastic Waste as Substitute Materials for Making Bricks,
aim to determine the potential of glass and plastic waste as substitute materials for making
bricks This study will use a quantitative research design, specifically experimental research,
because we will need to use specific experimental methods to achieve our goal. Experimental
research designs that are concerned mainly with the cause-and-effect relationship of
variables. It is the best research design for us to have new ideas and theories that will help us
achieve our objectives. We can further study this relationship to identify deeper ideas. It is
the best method to use in order to have relevant details and show that we have evidence to
conduct research that will support us.

Materials and Equipment

The researchers gathered all the materials and equipment needed for the study which
are the following: glass (broken/small pieces), plastic waste, cement, water, sack, measuring
cup and wood.

Procedure

Collect glass and plastic waste, prepare all the materials and equipment needed, then
undergo the process of making bricks. The glass needs to be broken into smaller pieces to
have a nice texture, and the plastic waste needs to be combined so that it is ready when mixed
with cement. Then, we need a sack and a trowel, which are used for mixing the cement.

Add the _ cement, ____glass, plastic waste, and water. Mix all the materials together
for making bricks.