Plastic! Researching new construction systems that store plastic waste through teaching and prototyping

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a critical environmental issue harming wildlife and ecosystems. Its non-biodegradable nature leads to waste accumulation, necessitating both a reduction in new plastic production and innovative solutions for existing waste. The Plastic! project, an initiative by the Collaborative Design Laboratory from the Technische Universität Berlin, explores using urban plastic waste, specifically LDPE, in architectural structures. Combining research and teaching, the project involves students in developing construction systems through digital manufacturing techniques. Initiated by a seminar on urban waste reuse, Plastic! identified plastic as a high-potential construction material. The project acquired 400kg of LDPE waste and basic manufacturing tools for further research. It has demonstrated the feasibility of using plastic waste in construction to mitigate ecological issues and provided students with hands-on problem-solving experience.