Recycled Plastic Bricks - Do They Work?

Summary

The video explores the potential of recycled plastic bricks as a solution to global housing and pollution issues. It features Circular 11, a company turning plastic waste into bricks. Founders Ben and Connor discuss the process, challenges, and pivot from bricks to outdoor furniture due to technical and commercial risks. The video also includes insights from Rory, the original brick mold designer, who suggests humanitarian applications. The discussion highlights the need for innovation in recycling and sustainable construction materials.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Ben and Connor, co-founders of Circular 11, are tackling global housing and pollution issues by turning plastic waste into recycled bricks.
• 🔥 They were motivated by the harmful practice of open-air burning of plastic waste, which they witnessed during their stay in the Philippines.
• 🏗️ The bricks are created through a process of extrusion, where plastic is pumped into molds, making them stronger than concrete blocks.
• ♻️ Each brick contains about 1.5 kg of plastic, equivalent to roughly 1,000 milk bottle tops, highlighting the scalability of the process.
• 🚿 After molding, bricks are cooled in a water bath for 15-20 minutes before being demolded, ensuring they retain their shape and strength.
• 🏗️ The bricks interlock and can be quickly and easily assembled, making construction faster and more efficient.
• 🔧 Despite their strength, the bricks have limitations such as UV degradation, flammability, and creep, which require solutions like rendering or special framing.
• 🔄 The business has pivoted from producing bricks to creating outdoor furniture and landscaping products due to the technical and commercial risks associated with brick production.
• 🌳 Rory, the original designer of the brick mold, suggests that the best application for these bricks might be in disaster response and popup shelters.
• 🌱 The potential future for recycled plastic bricks lies in local, small-scale production, where waste is turned into construction materials that benefit the community.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of Circular 11's business?

The primary goal of Circular 11's business is to turn plastic waste into recycled bricks to address global housing and pollution problems.

Why did Ben and Connor start Circular 11?

Ben and Connor started Circular 11 after experiencing the negative effects of burning plastic waste in the Philippines, which motivated them to find a way to create value from mixed low-grade plastics.

How are the recycled plastic bricks made?

The recycled plastic bricks are made through a process of extrusion, where plastic is pumped into a mold and then cooled in a water bath to harden.

What is the strength of the recycled plastic bricks compared to traditional concrete blocks?

The recycled plastic bricks are actually stronger than concrete blocks, as mentioned in the script, they can support a load equivalent to 'a number of elephants'.

What are the challenges associated with the long-term use of recycled plastic bricks?

The challenges include UV degradation, flammability, and creep (long-term sagging of the material). These can be mitigated with treatments like applying a render to protect from UV damage and using non-flammable renders for fire resistance.

Why did Ben and Connor pivot away from producing bricks?

They pivoted away from producing bricks because the technical and commercial risks associated with developing a new product from low-grade plastics were too high for their small business.

What is the current focus of Circular 11's business after pivoting?

After pivoting, Circular 11 now focuses on making outdoor furniture and landscaping products like benches, planters, tables, and fencing from waste plastic.

What is the significance of Rory's involvement in the development of the recycled plastic bricks?

Rory was the original designer of the brick mold and his insights have been crucial in understanding the potential and limitations of the bricks, including their strength and durability.

What are the potential applications for recycled plastic bricks according to Rory?

Rory suggests that the strongest application for the bricks is in humanitarian response and disaster relief, such as popup shelters made from waste like water bottles.

What is the current state of the second version of the recycled plastic brick?

The second version of the recycled plastic brick is still in the early theoretical research stage, with no current funding to push the development further.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Recycled Plastic Bricks: A Solution to Housing and Pollution?

The paragraph introduces the concept of using recycled plastic bricks as a solution to global housing and pollution issues. It discusses the motivation behind Circular 11, a company founded by Ben and Connor, which aims to turn plastic waste into bricks. The founders were inspired by their experience in a waste management project where they witnessed the harmful effects of burning plastic waste. They decided to create a valuable product from mixed low-grade plastics to generate employment and reduce pollution. The process involves extruding plastic into molds to create strong, interlocking bricks that are surprisingly stronger than concrete blocks. The company also addresses challenges such as UV degradation, flammability, and creep, and considers various improvements to the brick design and manufacturing process.

05:02

🔄 Recycled Plastic Bricks: Benefits, Limitations, and Business Pivot

This paragraph delves into the benefits and limitations of recycled plastic bricks. It mentions that while the bricks are strong and have potential environmental benefits, there are challenges in scaling up production due to slow manufacturing processes. The founders, Ben and Connor, had to pivot their business model from producing bricks to creating other products like outdoor furniture and landscaping items made from waste plastic. The paragraph also includes an interview with Rory, the original designer of the brick mold, who discusses the potential applications of the bricks, such as disaster response and popup shelters. Rory suggests that the bricks could be part of a larger shift towards local, small-scale production using recycled materials.

10:03

🏗️ Exploring the Feasibility of Recycled Plastic Bricks

The paragraph explores the technical aspects of producing recycled plastic bricks, comparing the properties of different plastics like polypropylene and polyethylene with ABS, which is used by Lego. It discusses the challenges of using these materials for construction purposes, such as material shrinkage and the need for safe working temperatures. The paragraph also introduces a new interlocking brick mold that produces smaller bricks suitable for children's play rather than construction. The founders of Circular 11 share their decision to move away from brick production due to the technical and commercial risks associated with using low-grade plastics for a high-value application like bricks. They now focus on producing outdoor furniture and landscaping products from waste plastic, which is a more commercially viable and lower-risk endeavor.

15:04

🌳 Supporting Environmental Initiatives: Planet Wild and Community Impact

The final paragraph shifts focus to broader environmental initiatives, highlighting the work of Planet Wild, a community dedicated to environmental restoration projects. It mentions a specific mission to plant 40,000 trees and create forest gardens as a solution to desertification, poverty, and biodiversity loss. The paragraph encourages viewers to support Planet Wild and become active participants in rewilding projects through their app. It also promotes an offer for the first 200 subscribers to get a free month's subscription using a special code. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the channel's mission to inspire individuals to make a difference in their relationship with waste and the environment.

Keywords

💡Recycled Plastic Bricks

Recycled plastic bricks refer to construction materials made from plastic waste that would otherwise be discarded or incinerated. In the video, these bricks are presented as a potential solution to both housing shortages and pollution problems. The co-founders of Circular 11, Ben and Connor, explore the process of turning plastic waste into these bricks, aiming to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional building materials.

💡Circular Economy

The circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. It is a regenerative system in which materials are repurposed rather than discarded after use. In the context of the video, Circular 11 embodies this concept by transforming plastic waste into valuable bricks, thereby contributing to a circular flow of materials and reducing the environmental impact of waste.

💡Extrusion

Extrusion is a manufacturing process where raw material is forced through a die to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. The video describes the process of extruding plastic into molds to form bricks. This technique is crucial for the production of recycled plastic bricks, as it shapes the plastic into a usable form that can be employed in construction.

💡UV Degradation

UV degradation refers to the deterioration of materials due to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight. In the video, it is mentioned as a potential issue with recycled plastic bricks, as prolonged exposure to sunlight can weaken the material. The script suggests that applying a render over the bricks could mitigate this issue, protecting the bricks and prolonging their lifespan.

💡Flammability

Flammability is the ability of a material to burn or ignite easily. The video discusses the flammability of recycled plastic bricks, noting that they can be more susceptible to fire than traditional bricks. However, it also suggests that this risk can be reduced by applying a non-flammable render to the bricks, which would help them withstand fires more effectively.

💡Creep

Creep is the tendency of a material to deform permanently under stress over time. In the context of the video, it is mentioned as a challenge for recycled plastic bricks, as the long-term performance of the material under load is not well understood. The video suggests that this issue could potentially be addressed by designing the bricks with additional structural support or by using them in ways that reduce the stress on the material.

💡Injection Molding

Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting material into a mold. The video discusses the potential of injection molding for producing smaller items from recycled plastic, such as the interlocking bricks tested by the creators. This process is highlighted as a more efficient and scalable method for creating plastic products, which could have implications for the production of recycled plastic bricks on a larger scale.

💡Pivot

To pivot in business refers to a strategic change in direction or product focus. In the video, Ben and Connor pivoted their business away from producing bricks to creating other products like outdoor furniture and landscaping items. This decision was made due to the technical and commercial risks associated with producing bricks from low-grade plastics, illustrating the challenges and strategic decisions involved in sustainable business practices.

💡Scalability

Scalability in business refers to the ability of a process or product to increase in size or volume while maintaining performance. The video discusses the challenges of scaling up the production of recycled plastic bricks, highlighting the need for more efficient manufacturing processes and the potential for automation to make the production commercially viable.

💡Low-Grade Plastics

Low-grade plastics are materials that are difficult to recycle due to their mixed nature or contamination. The video emphasizes the importance of finding uses for these plastics, which are often incinerated or end up in landfills. Circular 11's initial focus on turning low-grade plastics into bricks highlights the potential for repurposing waste materials into valuable products.

💡Planet Wild

Planet Wild is mentioned in the video as a community dedicated to environmental conservation and restoration projects. The video encourages viewers to support Planet Wild, illustrating the broader theme of the video, which is about finding ways to make a positive impact on the environment. The mention of Planet Wild serves as a call to action, encouraging viewers to participate in environmental initiatives beyond the specific focus on recycled plastic bricks.

Highlights

Recycled plastic bricks could be a solution to global housing and pollution problems.

Circular 11, a company devoted to turning plastic waste into bricks, was born out of a waste management project.

The founders were motivated by the need to stop the burning of plastic waste, which caused health hazards.

The plastic bricks are stronger than concrete blocks due to the extrusion process used in their creation.

Each brick contains about 1.5 kg of plastic, equivalent to 1,000 milk bottle tops.

The bricks have excellent tensile and compressive properties, capable of supporting the weight of several elephants.

The bricks' thermal insulation performance is high, and adding rock wool does not significantly improve it.

Challenges such as UV degradation, flammability, and creep need to be addressed for the bricks to be viable.

The extrusion process is scalable, but the speed of production needs to be increased for commercial viability.

Rory, the original designer of the brick mold, suggests humanitarian response and disaster relief as potential applications.

The brick's potential future includes small-scale product design, furniture, and architecture.

Circular 11 pivoted to making outdoor furniture and landscaping products from waste plastic due to commercial risks.

There is ongoing research into a version two of the brick that could allow for quicker and more efficient production.

The vision for the future includes small to medium recycling centers making construction materials from local waste.

Planet wild is a community dedicated to environmental missions, including planting trees and restoring forests.

The video concludes with a call to action to support Planet wild and make a difference through rewilding projects.

Transcripts

are recycled plastic bricks a solution

to the global housing and pollution

problems now this is a pretty big

question to answer all by ourselves

fortunately some friends of ours set up

a whole business devoted to Turning

plastic waste into recycled bricks to

try and solve those exact issues so

let's go and find out from the people

that actually make them then we'll come

back here and see if we can do something

similar

ourselves so these are our friends Ben

and Connor who are the co-founders of

their company circular 11 which was or

formed as green brick it came out of a

waste management project in the pool

where we were in early 2020 setting up

collection systems and we would go to

bed each night with a smell of burning

plastic in our nostrils because all of

the families we lived with had to openly

burn the plastic that they um used every

day and we really got mobilized by our

experience there CU we thought if

something valuable could be made out of

all of these mixed low-grade Plastics it

would generate employment and most

importantly it would stop this like

carcinogenic smoke from surrounding in

these families every day so we came back

to UK found out about Rory's molds and

all of the bricks that we wanted to kind

of experiment with as a starting point

for Innovation um and that's where green

brick came from so here we have the

plastic bricks in action now we actually

us to make these in our Workshop back in

Hovis in our much smaller scale sort of

setup the basic principle of these is

that they lock together um and that

they're super quick and easy to attach

um and to build with super super strong

these actually are stronger than a

concrete block believe it or not and the

way that we do this is through process

of Extrusion pumping it into into the

mold so this is the mold for this

particular

brick top pops off and out there would

pop One of These Bricks now there's

about a kilo and a half of plastic in

this particular brick which is around

about 1,000 milk bow tops um so yeah

super super scalable and in fact let's

go over to the extruder and take a look

at

that so this is the extruder that they

use they load the plastic at the top

here feed it through the barrel and into

the mold at the other end and if any of

you have seen any of our other videos

you might know that this is just a

little bit bigger than our extruder back

in our

[Music]

Workshop so once the mold is finished um

and full we're going to take it off the

extruder and pop it into our water bath

so it can cool down and we can release

the plastic brick from

inside so leave it in the water bath for

about 15 20 minutes um in order to cool

down now it's ready to demold so we can

take the mold grips off and get this uh

brick

[Music]

out

[Music]

nice so it's a bit soggy but other than

that it feels like it's a really strong

brick yeah it's a great process the

quickest we've got it down to is about 6

minutes which isn't too bad I think the

essential parts of the process are

fairly scalable it's strong compared to

like normal normal construction bricks

it's amazing the tensile and compressive

properties of that are unbelievable you

can put a number of elephants on it a

number of elephants yeah it will take a

good few tons to break it nice the

properties are great as well we can put

rock wall in it to insulate it andap

doesn't even improve the thermal

insulation performance that much cuz

it's already very high really well the

three things that people always talk

about uh UV degradation flammability and

creep which is like the long-term

sagging of the material over time the

first two can in principle be overcome

with UV degradation if you apply a

render over the top of it the UV damage

won't occur to the brick and when it

comes to flammability you can can often

help the uh building lasts a lot longer

in fire by rendering it with the

non-flammable render creep is a little

bit more challenging because people

don't understand it very well there

isn't very much regulation in place for

exactly how this material should

function in 30 or 40 years time in

principle you can imagine taking the

load off the wall by Framing it with

something like an aluminium scaffold

there are ways that we could try and

design this out as well you know there

were few other areas as well in which um

we'd look to change the sort of vertical

connection piece with the bricks there

is nonone currently so you lose a lot of

structural Integrity um and also the

sort of Clips on the top which keep it

horizontally locked um they can be a

little fiddly and also prone to to

failure so again something a little bit

more sort of structurally sound um needs

to be designed in in that area also

things to consider is the way in which

the brick sort of works with services in

the the building so how it connects the

foundations for example or window

lentils bringing it into a real world

construction context is you really

really crucial fundamentally sort of we

need to improve how efficient it is to

make because it is quite slow to make on

mass and it it sort of used as an

extrusion process in an injection style

mold so you need to look at ways in

which that can be sped up to basically

make it commercially viable cool cheers

boys so these bricks have a load of

benefits and it seems like they've got

the potential to be even better but

ultimately their limitations are the

reason that Ben and Connor had to Pivot

and change the direction of their

business we'll come back to Connor and

Ben later and we see what they're up to

now instead of the bricks and while

recycled plastic bricks have the

potential to combat both environmental

and economic issues there are some more

natural approaches that may be able to

help as well make sure you stick around

to the end as we've got an awesome video

recommendation which does exactly that

as well as a little gift that we think

you're going to love so so the guys

mentioned that it was actually Rory who

was the original designer of their brick

mold now B eyed viewers might remember

him from our recycle plastic brick

video hey guys I amazing information

thank you so much Rory so let's go have

a chat with him and get his take on

recycled plastic bricks after all the

work he did on them hey man thank you so

much for jumping on to call with us so

we know that you made a video yourself

all about the recycled plastic brick uh

when you designed it a few years ago

which of course we will link below just

for anyone that hasn't seen it but since

then has any new information come to

light that has changed anything for you

at all that YouTube video was how we got

the research paper done with a German

University and they did a research on

the durability and the feasibility of

implementing the current design and

that's a really interesting paper and

that's actually where they highlight the

strength is so good but then the

weakness is that it's extremely flam

so you know you got this tra and in the

sun it just degrades much quicker than

you would expect right so with that in

mind what do you think is the best

application for these breaks I think the

strongest place is you know humanitarian

response Disaster Response popup

shelters made from humanitarian Aid such

as water bottles and stuff like that to

create this very quick kind of you ship

in a shipping container with a solution

and then everyone kind of puts that

plastic in it and out comes products

that provide shelter and address those

needs so overall all these years later

what are your thoughts now is there an

actual future for the brick do you

reckon or is it more just a a nice

concept I yeah I still think there's a

lot of potential for it it's just you

know the world in my mind we all just

start looking at the things and I think

the brick has an opportunity there I

think it goes from small scale product

design to Furniture to architecture and

I think we want to get to the point

where you know Ikea is taking the waste

from the plastic of the community to

create the furniture in its Factory

that's in the village to then sell that

back and then the next scale is

flatpacked houses that are made from the

waste of that community that then get

put back into the community and I think

this kind of small local business is

where we're evolving but perhaps it's 10

years away and requires a ton of

experimentation a ton of investment and

for some rules in the government to

change but I think that's you know the

brick was perhaps a little ahead of its

time so you're a recycling hster

essentially then

really you guys are the ones with the

beards and if you look at the stuff that

you guys make then it's always very much

about the Small Things the small things

that actually bring so much value to

that few grams of plastic and perhaps

that has a larger capacity to create to

generate more change than just saying

let's use 400 tons of of plastic in this

one house when actually you know Clay is

a really good building material that's

carbon neutral and Source locally as

well all right well thank you so much

for your time bud that was super helpful

as always but we'll let you get back to

it we'll see you

soon it is always ridiculously helpful

challenge Rory CU he seems to know

everything about anything in the world

of plastic so if you want to see the

full interview because that was only a

2minute cutdown version but if you want

to see the full one it is live over on

our patreon on so if you're a member of

the Brotherhood you can check it out now

or if you're fancy signing up you could

see the full version there's also some

other benefits that comes with it you

get your name on our Workshop wall we

hang out on Zoom sometimes there's a

bunch of things so check out if you're

interested if not no pressure so it

seems like in its current format These

Bricks aren't really that viable to be

produced on a large scale but as R said

injection molding is an awesome

application for producing a lot of

smaller items and if you get down to a

much smaller

scale that's exactly how Lego is

made now Lego bricks are made from ABS

but in our machines we use polypropylene

or polyethylene and this is because

these are the safest Plastics to work

with when working at temperature now

Lego does use these materials but not

for their bricks either because the

material shrinks too much or it just

doesn't have the right properties for a

strong stackable brick now we don't work

we don't work with abs because the fumes

when you melt them are pretty hideous so

we like to stick to just the safe

Plastics which kind of means that a

brick of this size isn't going to be

particularly feasible with our setup at

least anyway so maybe we can find

something somewhere in the middle well

we've recently got this interlocking

brick mold which sits right between the

size of the large brick and the piece of

Lego this will be the very first time

we've ever used it so let's go give it a

go and see if it

[Music]

works

[Music]

so we spent about 3 or 4 hours making

these bricks and in terms of quality

they are super consistent which is kind

of what you'd expect with injection

molding over Extrusion in terms of how

long they take to make we're kind of

working at the same Pace as these ones

so it's about 6 minutes per brick so

about 10 per hour however the main

limitation is the size if you're trying

to get these comparable you're going to

need about 12 of these to equal one of

these larger Bricks now obviously these

aren't meant for construction purposes

but in terms of kids stacking blocks

they're

perfect

[Music]

so all in all are recycled plastic

bricks feasible theoretically yes but

not quite as it stands the design of the

mold definitely needs some work it needs

to be easier to make it needs to be

quicker to make and ideally it needs to

be able to be made like in an

automated system where it's not like one

person undoing a every time we just need

we need somewhere that's going to bash

it out super quickly and make loads of

them when we were Ching to Rory he said

that he quickly realized that even if

the mold was absolutely perfect that

it's not really that much of a viable

option at the moment anyway just because

there aren't that many workspaces out

there that are capable of making these

recycled plastic bricks of this size Ben

and Connor actually have the ideal setup

to make these type of bricks on this

kind of scale but even they have decided

to Pivot away from this and they've

decided to switch their business into

making something else ultimately we

moved away from producing bricks in

circular 11 and that wasn't because it's

impossible to make them our core aim is

to use mixed low-grade Plastics that

currently go to incineration and that

means that we're really interested in

how to do stuff with the lowest quality

Plastics this is a really high value

application and you need to be really

careful with what feed stock you put

into a process that goes into something

like bricks at the end of the day

there's a lot of technical risk that

we're already taking uh by developing

manufacturing technology for low-grade

Plastics when you add in the commercial

risk of making a product that no one's

heard of before there's way too much

risk to manage in a small business so we

decided to focus on a much simpler end

product that's already in demand things

like low carbon fencing and planks we

now make a range of outdoor furniture

and landscaping products things like

benches Planters tables uh and are soon

launching into a fencing range as well

and these are all made out of waste

plastic from local communities and also

at the back end of recycling centers

taking the waste that they can't deal

with um and turn it into products that

will set to last a lifetime CYO 11 are

continually doing loads of research and

developing new stuff so we'll put all

the links in the description below so if

you want to follow and see what they're

getting up to you can do

so it's fun isn't

it there has been a small amount of work

done on a version two of this brick that

should allow for them to be made quicker

more efficiently be good but it's only

at a very early sort of theoretical

research level however there's currently

no more funding left in place to push

this any further forward so if there is

any money out there then it could

definitely be something that's possible

in the future and then if that was

possible then perhaps one day there'll

be a world where there's loads of little

small to medium recycling centers all

over that they taking plastic from their

local community and making you know

construction materials and putting that

back into the community to do good that'

be fun wouldn't be a nice place to live

yes one day we'll get there our channel

is all about how each of us can make a

difference to our planet through our

relationship with waste but as we

mentioned earlier in the video there are

some other ways that we can all make the

world a little bit Greener Planet wild

are a global community of individuals

who are dedicated to the environment and

giving Back To Nature every month they

embark on different missions to either

bring back an endangered species clean

up our oceans or restore forests then

they release the full video on their

YouTube channel to document the whole

thing so you can see firsthand the

difference that's being made the latest

this Mission involves planting 40,000

trees creating Forest Gardens which is

Nature's solution to desertification

poverty and biodiversity loss and all

this is made possible by your support by

becoming a member you're not just an

observer you're an active participant in

Frontline rewilding projects through

their app you can see the impact of your

support and see the positive change that

you're contributing to and this is

exactly why we support them ourselves so

join us in supporting Planet wild and

together we can make a difference and

the first 200 of our subscribers will

get their first month subscription for

free by using the code Brothers make and

if first you'd like to get to know their

cause a little bit better check out the

video that we mentioned which is on

screen now and consider subscribing to

their awesome Channel thank you so much

for watching we'll see you in the next

one planet wild and brothers

make