Construction and works

HP GREEN

RAINWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM USING RECYCLED PET

PET (POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) IS THE MOST WIDELY RECYCLED PLASTIC IN THE WORLD. Recycling infrastructures are well established, from collection and sorting to further processing and end use. PET can be recycled multiple times, although only a first level of recycling is allowed for food use. Beyond this level, it is used for a wide variety of end products such as fibre, textile fibre filler, webbing, and bottles and containers for non-food uses, including detergents and phytosanitary products. There are many applications for recycled PET in the construction sector, but mass production to develop a manufacturing industry has been limited. ULMA, specialists in construction drainage systems, seeks to change this situation.

ULMA
OBJECTIVES
  • Incorporate resins made from recycled PET (by glycolysis) in the manufacture of polymer concrete material, to be used in drainage and sewerage applications.
  • Achieve an industrial mass-produced product which can be exported all over the world.
  • Reduce landfilling of low-value PET streams.
  • Meet the sustainability criteria set by the future building trend.
RESULTS
  • Recycled PET resin obtained on a laboratory and industrial scale, was integrated with the rest of the polymer concrete material components.
  • New product development: rainwater drainage channels with minimal environmental impact.
  • Concrete with exceptional mechanical resistance (up to 4 times more resistant to compression than traditional concrete) was obtained, allowing the production of light elements with reduced dimensions.
  • Use of 400 tonnes of PET waste streams per year, diverting them from landfill disposal, and saving 345 tonnes of CO2e.
  • 2% contribution to the company’s turnover.
CONCLUSIONS
  • One of the major factors contributing to HP GREEN success has been the detailed study of the industrial adaptation of the product and process, given that scalability is always a critical factor to take into account when starting from a laboratory level development.
  • The success of the new variety of PET resin-based polymer concrete material is a major step forward for the company and will also lead to exploring new avenues for incorporating recycled materials into its products in the future.

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