Authors : Maaz Bahauddin Naveed

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mtpkrp75

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yc2ua5m7

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jul540

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The intense increase in plastic waste highlights the need for sustainable solutions, seizing the opportunity to balance plastics and the environment. This review comprehensively studies the production of composite materials from waste plastic as a valuable resource that also alleviates environmental concerns. This review investigates the vast scope and environmental burden of plastic waste by providing a framework that differentiates the different waste plastics, namely the thermoplastics and thermosets. Particular emphasis is given to various methods of waste plastic processing to form composites by melt blending, compression molding, extrusion, and injection molding. The review identifies various composite plastic reinforcements that incorporate additional polymers as well as natural and synthetic fibers, sand, clay, fly ash, and other recycled and post-consumer resources. This review attempts to examine the interrelationships of waste plastic type and composite reinforcements and the processing and other influencing factors as well the mechanical, thermal, physical, and/or chemical properties of the plastics. This review is intended to be a helpful reference for researchers, engineers, and policymakers focused on the development of safe and sustainable technologies to manage plastic waste (circular economy).

Keywords : Waste Plastic Recycling, Sustainable Materials, Resource Utilization, Environmental Impact, Circular Economy, and Composite Manufacturing.

References :

1. Hsu E and Kuo C. Recycling rates of waste home appliances in Taiwan. Waste Manag 2005; 25(1): 53–65. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman. 2004.07.003.
2. Piergiovanni L and Limbo S. Plastic packaging materials. Springer briefs in molecular science, 2015, pp. 33–49. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-24732-8_5.
3. Torres-Mata LB, Garc´ıa-Pe´rez O, Rodr´ıguez-Esparragón F, et al. Ozone eliminates SARS-CoV-2 from difficult-to-clean office supplies and clinical equipment. Int J Environ Res Publ Health 2022; 19(14): 8672. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148672.
4. Rashid AB and Hoque ME. Polymer nanocomposites for defense applications. Elsevier eBooks, 2022, pp. 373–414. DOI: 10.1016/ b978-0-12-824492-0.00015-5.
5. Ali F and Khan I. Pharmaceutical packaging. AAPS advances in the pharmaceutical sciences series, 2022, pp. 55–66. DOI: 10.1007/ 978-3-030-84977-1_5.
6. Jia C, Das P, Kim I, et al. Applications, treatments, and reuse of plastics from electrical and electronic equipment. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry/Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry - Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 2022; 110: 84–99. DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2022.03.026.
7. Rhodes CJ. Plastic pollution and potential solutions. Science progress 2018; 101(3): 207–260. DOI: 10.3184/ 003685018X15294876706211.
8. Tiwari RK, Azad N, Dutta D, et al. A critical review and future perspective of plastic waste recycling. Sci Total Environ 2023; 881: 163433. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163433.
9. Verma R, Vinoda K, Papireddy M, et al. Toxic pollutants from plastic waste- A review. Procedia Environmental Sciences 2016; 35: 701–708. DOI: 10.1016/j.proenv.2016.07.069.
10. Van Emmerik T and Schwarz A. Plastic debris in rivers. WIREs. Water 2019; 7(1). DOI: 10.1002/wat2.1398.
11. Kosior E and Crescenzi I. Solutions to the plastic waste problem on land and in the oceans. Elsevier eBooks 2020: 415–446. DOI: 10. 1016/b978-0-12-817880-5.00016-5.
12. Stoett P. Plastic pollution: a global challenge in need of multi-level justice-centered solutions. One Earth 2022; 5(6): 593–596. DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.05.017.
13. Rhodes CJ. Solving the plastic problem: from cradle to grave, to reincarnation. Sci Prog 2019; 102(3): 218–248. DOI: 10.1177/ 0036850419867204.
14. Hale RC, Seeley ME, La Guardia MJ, et al. A global perspective on microplastics. Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans 2020; 125(1). DOI: 10.1029/2018jc014719.
15. UNEP - UN Environment Programme. Global efforts show progress on plastic pollution is possible – but world remains off track, Chemicals & Pollution Action. Press release, 2023. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/global-efforts-show-progress-plastic-pollution-possible-world
16. Plastic waste is everywhere — and countries must be held accountable for reducing it. (2023). Nature, 619(7969), 222. DOI: 10.1038/ d41586-023-02252-x.
17. Xanthos D and Walker TR. International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): a review. Mar Pollut Bull 2017; 118(1–2): 17–26. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.048.
18. Mwanza BG and Mbohwa C. Drivers to sustainable plastic solid waste recycling: a review. Procedia Manuf 2017; 8: 649–656. DOI: 10.1016/j.promfg.2017.02.083.
19. Jayaraman K and Bhattacharyya D. Mechanical performance of woodfibre–waste plastic composite materials. Resour Conserv Recycl 2004; 41(4): 307–319. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2003.12.001.
20. Najafi S, Hamidinia E and Tajvidi M. Mechanical properties of composites from sawdust and recycled plastics. J Appl Polym Sci 2006; 100(5): 3641–3645. DOI: 10.1002/app.23159.
21. Basalp D, Tihminlioglu F, Sofuoglu SC, et al. Utilization of municipal plastic and wood waste in industrial manufacturing of wood plastic composites. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2020; 11: 5419–5430. DOI: 10.1007/s12649-020-00986-7.
22. Antonucci V, Durante M, Giordano M, et al. A new cost-saving vacuum infusion process for fiber-reinforced composites: pulsed infusion. J Compos Mater 2013; 48(11): 1365–1373. DOI: 10.1177/0021998313485998.
23. Rafiee R, Shahzadi R and Speresp H. Structural optimization of filament wound composite pipes. Front Struct Civ Eng 2022; 16(8): 1056–1069. DOI: 10.1007/s11709-022-0868-3.
24. Fico D, Rizzo D, De Carolis V, et al. Sustainable polymer composites manufacturing through 3D printing technologies by using recycled polymer and filler. Polymers 2022; 14(18): 3756. DOI: 10.3390/polym14183756.
25. Cui Y, Lee S, Noruziaan B, et al. Fabrication and interfacial modification of wood/recycled plastic composite materials. Composites. Part a. Applied Science and Manufacturing 2008; 39(4): 655–661. DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2007.10.017.
26. Mtibe A, Mokhena TC and John MJ. Sustainable valorization and conversion of e-waste plastics into value-added products. Curr Opin Green Sustainable Chem 2023; 40: 100762. DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsc.2023.100762.
27. Nukala SG, Kong I, Kakarla AB, et al. Development of wood polymer composites from recycled wood and plastic waste: thermal and mechanical properties. Journal of Composites Science 2022; 6(7): 194. DOI: 10.3390/jcs6070194.
28. Fan J and Njuguna J. An introduction to lightweight composite materials and their use in transport structures. Elsevier eBooks, 2016, pp. 3–34. DOI: 10.1016/b978-1-78242-325-6.00001-3.
29. Ramli NN, Mazlan N, Ando Y, et al. Advanced polymer composite for aerospace engineering applications. Springer eBooks, 2022, pp. 1–21. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-88192-4_1.
30. Amjad A, Anjang A, Awais H, et al. A review investigating the influence of nanofiller addition on the mechanical, thermal and water absorption properties of cellulosic fibre reinforced polymer composite. J Ind Textil 2021; 51(1_suppl): 65S–100S. DOI: 10.1177/ 15280837211057580.
31. Goli VSNS, Mohammad A and Singh D. Application of municipal plastic waste as a manmade neo-construction material: issues & wayforward. Resour Conserv Recycl 2020; 161: 105008. DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105008.
32. Patel HG and Dalal SP. An experimental investigation on physical and mechanical properties of concrete with the replacement of fine aggregate by poly vinyl chloride and glass waste. Procedia Eng 2017; 173: 1666–1671. DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2016.12.191.
33. Iftikhar B, Alih SC, Vafaei M, et al. Experimental study on the eco-friendly plastic-sand paver blocks by utilising plastic waste and basalt fibers. Heliyon 2023; 9(6): e17107. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17107.
34. Soni A, Das PK, Yusuf M, et al. Development of sand-plastic composites as floor tiles using silica sand and recycled thermoplastics: a sustainable approach for cleaner production. Sci Rep 2022; 12(1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19635-1.
35. Sahani K, Joshi BR, Khatri K, et al. Mechanical properties of plastic sand brick containing plastic waste. Adv Civ Eng 2022; 2022. DOI: 10.1155/2022/8305670.
36. Tempa K, Chettri N, Thapa G, Phurba, Gyeltshen C, Norbu D, Gurung D and Wangchuk U. An experimental study and sustainability assessment of plastic waste as a binding material for producing economical cement-less paver blocks. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal 2022; 26: 101008. DOI: 10.1016/j.jestch.2021.05.012.
37. Kumi-Larbi Jnr A, Galpin R, Manjula S, et al. Reuse of waste plastics in developing countries: properties of waste plastic-sand composites. Waste and Biomass Valorization 2022; 13(9): 3821–3834. DOI: 10.1007/s12649-022-01708-x.
38. Tufa M, Tafesse D, Tolosa S, et al. Study of sand-plastic composite using optimal mixture design of experiments for best compressive strength. Mater Today Proc 2021; 47: 480–487. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.05.031.
39. Abdel Tawab OF, Amin MR, Ibrahim MM, et al. Recycling waste plastic bags as a replacement for cement in production of building bricks and concrete blocks. Journal of Waste Resources and Recycling 2020; 1(2): 202. https://www.annexpublishers.com/articles/ JWRR/2102-Recycling-Waste-Plastic-Bags-as-a-Replacement-for-Cement-in-Production-of-Building-Bricks-and-Concrete-Blocks. pdf
40. Osarumwense JO, Salokun O and Okundaye AO. Utilization of low density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic wastes in the production of paving tiles. J Mater Environ Sci 2020; 11(12): 2052–2060. https://www.jmaterenvironsci.com/Document/vol11/vol11_N12/JMES-2020-11175-Osarumwense.pdf
41. Suriyaa M, Hareharan P, Nageshwaran J, et al. Experimental study on strength behaviour of plastic sand bricks. Int J Sci Eng Res 2021; 9: 6–9. https://www.ijser.in/archives/v9i6/SE21524114751.pdf
42. Almtori Sa. S, Jassim RJ, Ali DC, et al. Sustainable manufacturing process applied to produce waste Polymer-Polymer matrix composites. Aplinkos Tyrimai, InzInerija Ir Vadyba 2023; 79(1): 122–132. DOI: 10.5755/j01.erem.79.1.32907.
43. Fahad BM and Farhan R. Acoustic Impedance Evaluation of the Polymer–Polymer hybrid composites as insulator building materials. Polymers 2023; 15(16): 3479. DOI: 10.3390/polym15163479.
44. Matias A´ A, Lima MS, Pereira J, et al. Use of recycled polypropylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) blends to manufacture water pipes: an industrial scale study. Waste Manag 2020; 101: 250–258. DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.10.001.
45. Jayanarayanan K, Thomas S and Joseph K. Effect of blend ratio on the mechanical and sorption behaviour of polymer–polymer microfibrillar composites from low-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. J Reinforc Plast Compos 2012; 31(8): 549–562. DOI: 10.1177/0731684412440602.
46. Imamura N, Sakamoto H, Higuchi Y, et al. Effectiveness of compatibilizer on mechanical properties of recycled PET blends with PE, PP, and PS. Mater Sci Appl 2014; 05(08): 548–555. DOI: 10.4236/msa.2014.58057.
47. Kunimune N, Yamada K, Leong YW, et al. Influence of the reactive processing of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate)/ poly(ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) blends. J Appl Polym Sci 2010; 120(1): 50–55. DOI: 10.1002/app.32836.
48. Ibrahim ID, Jamiru T, Sadiku R, et al. The use of polypropylene in bamboo fibre composites and their mechanical properties – a review. J Reinforc Plast Compos 2015; 34(16): 1347–1356. DOI: 10.1177/0731684415591302.
49. Sriprom W, Sirivallop A, Choodum A, et al. Plastic/Natural fiber composite based on recycled expanded polystyrene foam waste. Polymers 2022; 14(11): 2241. DOI: 10.3390/polym14112241.
50. Chen RS, Ahmad S and Gan S (2016). Rice husk bio-filler reinforced polymer blends of recycled HDPE / PET : three-dimensional stability under water immersion and mechanical performance. DOI: 10.1002/pc.24260.
51. Ali M, Assaf AHA and Salah M. Date palm fiber-reinforced recycled polymer composites: synthesis and characterization. Adv Polym Technol 2022: 1–10. DOI: 10.1155/2022/7957456.
52. Dahy H. Biocomposite materials based on annual natural fibres and biopolymers – design, fabrication and customized applications in architecture. Construct Build Mater 2017; 147: 212–220. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.079.
53. Alghamdi MN. Effect of filler particle size on the recyclability of fly ash filled HDPE composites. Polymers 2021; 13(16): 2836. DOI: 10.3390/polym13162836.