A Govt. of India recognized start-up which uses unique technology to convert waste plastic like bags & bottles into tiles for roofs, walls, pavements etc.
Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags and India generates about 15,342 tonnes of plastic waste per day. A report by FICCI noted that around 43 percent of manufactured plastics in India are used for packaging and most are of single-use. The reality is, plastic has become our lifestyle, it’s a habit now. It’s cheap to manufacture, is lightweight, durable, has multiple uses and Indians consume 11 kg per capita per annum.
A Delhi based startup has found an innovative solution to plastic waste disposal. For the past two years Paras Saluja, the founder of Shayna EcoUnified India Pvt. Ltd has been using plastic waste to make colourful floor tiles. The company has partnered with local scrap vendors, NGO’s, as well as schools to procure their plastic waste(at around Rs35-40 per KG). Once the plastic waste is collected it is segregated. Each type of tile produced at Shayna requires a different density of the material and hence, segregation is necessary.
There are 7 types of polymers present today, of which the company uses 3 types, mainly HDPE(high-density polyethylene), PP(polypropylene) and LDPE(low density polyethylene). The segregated plastic is then crushed, washed, mixed with 15% fillers (these fillers are mixed in order to make the tiles anti-microbial) and compressed to make tiles.
The company uses a cold process concept to manufacture the tiles, i.e. these tiles are upcycled using the plastic waste. The major difference between recycling and upcycling lies in the process. In recycling, one uses waste material and reprocesses or melt in controlled temperature to make the product, making it a hot process concept. However, in upcycling the product is not reprocessed or melted.
The upcycling process in their factory is done in accordance with the special guidelines laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB. Currently, the company manufactures six different types of tiles and can produce about 300,000 units per month and around 10,000 paver tiles and 4,500square tiles per day in their production unit based in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Around 1 kg of plastic waste makes 1 sq ft of tiles which comprises 4 plastic paver tiles.
The tiles made by Shayna EcoUnified come in two formats. Both are of the same size: seven inches by six inches in a dog bone shape. The load-bearing capacity of both formats is different. One can take up to 20 tonnes, the other 40 tonnes. Wall and floor HDCP tiles are available in 1ftX1ft, 13inX13in and 1.5ftX1.5ft square sizes. A larger plastic tile format, 24”X 24”, is also manufactured. It is suitable for making dustbins, small shelters and bathrooms. All their tiles are durable, heat resistant, weather resistant, chip resistant, acid proof, corrosion resistant, anti static, anti microbial, water proof with a heating capacity up to 140-degree Celsius and can be cooled down to -25 degree Celsius.
So far, Shayna has compressed around 275 tonnes of plastic into six lakh tiles. The company is keen on improving sanitation in government schools using their plastic tiles. Most people think that the plastic tiles are expensive and don’t opt for them with a misconception that as they are manufactured out of waste, hence are low on quality. However, it has several advantages over cement & ceramic tiles and to be ready to use without drying is one of the
m. The traditional cement paver tiles weigh between 4-5 kg whereas Shayna’s tiles weigh just 200 to 300 gms. The compressive strength of these plastic tiles is twice that of the cement tiles. Also, Shayna’s tiles are certified by the NPL to have a life of around 20 years while the cement tiles last just for three years post which needs to be replaced. When the tiles have reached their life cycle , they can be broken down and recycled agai
n. Comparing price points between cement tiles, the recycled tiles were around 30% more expensive, however the company has come a long way since its conception and the tiles now cost between Rs20-Rs70 per piece. With a guarantee of 15 years even in high traffic spaces like sidewalks, it lasts 3 times more than cement pavers.
The Greater Hyderabad’s Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) dog park was the first big project undertaken by the company in 2018. In Himachal Pradesh, it has paved roads for a resort in Chitkul near the India-China border. It is also helping Tata Motors reduce its ecological footprint by taking plastic waste from its factory and turning it into tiles which the company can use on its premises. Aiming to curb the surge in usage of non-biodegradable plastic products, Shayna EcoUnified India Pvt. Ltd. offers affordable structural materials produced from plastic waste, hoping to reduce the dumping of plastics in the environment.
MATERIAL DEPOTS QUICK 5
- BRAND : SHAYNA ECOUNIFIED
- CATAGORY: TILES
- APPLICATION: INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLADDING
- USP: RECYCLED PLASTIC TILES
- NOTABLE PROJECTS: GHMC DOG PARK IN HYDERABAD.
