Recycling Glass and Soft Plastics Towards Circular Economy

OBJECTIVES

Create upcycled concrete and brick products by replacing natural materials with recycled glass and soft plastics

Develop and test the best concrete mix using recycled EPS for strength, durability and structural standards

Trial product with Moreton Bay Regional Council and monitor how the products perform over time in live infrastructure

Team

Weena Lokuge

Lead Researcher

Vimukthi Fernando

PhD

Partners

University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)

Moreton Bay Regional Council

Progress

SUMMARY

This project is led by the University of Southern Queensland in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council. It aims to find new ways to use crushed glass and EPS (expanded polystyrene) in concrete and brick products, reducing waste and replacing natural materials. So far, results show that up to 50% of traditional fine aggregate in concrete can be replaced with waste glass without losing strength. Substituting 20% of cement with pond ash also reduces negative reactions in concrete. Early tests show no major change in how reinforced concrete beams behave, even in the long term. Performance testing and pilot trials with Council are underway.

OPPORTUNITIES

Research grants focused on circular economy and sustainable materials

Real-world application in Council infrastructure and construction projects

Collaboration opportunities with other councis and industry

Data collected could support future standards and certifications for recycled concrete products

AS SEEN AT

3RINCs Conference, The 3R International Scientific Conference on Material Cycles and Waste Management, Sydney March 2024 – presentation of findings

UniSQ Virtual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition

AS SEEN IN

W.C.V. Fernando, W. Lokuge, H. Wang, C. Gunasekara, K. Dhasindrakrishna, “Sustainable mortar with waste glass fine aggregates and pond ash as an alkali-silica reaction suppressor”, Case Studies in Construction Materials, Volume 22, 2025, e04269