Through Global Collaboration, BRIN Encourages Efforts to Utilise Low Plastic Value in the Construction Industry
- STIC CEGIR
- Oct 31, 2024
- 2 min read
Source: https://reurl.cc/7dxqAl
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is focusing on innovative solutions for environmental issues, particularly waste management, by repurposing low-value plastics for the construction industry. Low-value plastics are less desirable and difficult to recycle, but they can be transformed into eco-friendly building materials when combined with natural fibers.
On October 3, BRIN's Research Centre for Sustainable Production Systems and Life Cycle Assessment hosted a workshop titled "The Next Big Thing in Sustainability: Low Value Plastic Waste in Construction," in collaboration with JANGJO Indonesia and the Institut Français Indonésie. Professor Ausias Gilles from Université Bretagne Sud discussed the potential of low-value plastics in construction, emphasizing their use in products like wood mixes, bricks, and insulators.
Gilles highlighted the benefits of 3D printing in construction, such as safety, speed, and design flexibility, and described ongoing projects that incorporate soil and straw-based insulation materials. They also collaborate with Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zurich and Columbia University focused on recycling waste paper into cellulose fibers for building materials.
Additionally, Gilles discussed the use of activated slag for soil stabilization, sediment-based bricks, and invasive algae to enhance soil materials. He introduced hemp concrete, a composite of hemp fibers and lime, noting its environmental benefits and challenges in strength and material variation. Collaborations with Indonesian and French researchers aim to develop sustainable building materials using coconut fibers.
Nugroho Adi Sasongko, Head of BRIN's Research Centre for Sustainable Production Systems and Life Cycle Assessment, emphasized the workshop as a valuable opportunity for collaboration among researchers, industry players, and policymakers to tackle plastic waste issues in Indonesia.
Source: BRIN (2024), ‘Through Global Collaboration, BRIN Encourages Efforts to Utilise Low Plastic Value in the Construction Industry, 03 September Available at:
