The post-pandemic world has more plastic than ever, and RecycleX is providing a large spectrum of opportunities to combat this.
Everyone now is aware of plastic, and its effect on our planet. There is no getting away from this man-made material. In many ways we have become reliant on plastic, for our packaging, to store food, through to toys, plastic chairs, and dozens of more applications. However, as environmental concerns grow it’s useful to take a look at the life cycle of plastic. Where does it come from and what happens to it when we discard it?
We now know that plastic is causing problems for the environment. From animals ingesting it to depleting finite natural resources. We use it largely because alternatives are less convenient or simply not yet widely available. And because consumer demand, although shifting, has yet to absolutely require manufacturers and retailers to change their ways. In some ways, the life of plastic is never-ending. It is a material that takes up to 100s of years to degrade. We can melt and reform thermoplastic almost indefinitely in some instances.
However, in most cases, we can only recycle plastics several times before they become less usable.However, our reliance on plastic is causing a number of problems. With over 300 million tonnes produced each year, our reliance is growing. This has meant that plastic has become a waste and environmental problem as well as a health problem due to the toxicity of some types of plastic. Despite efforts to increase plastic recycling, much of the plastic that we make is not recycled.
Estimates suggest that we actually recycle as little as 9% of waste plastic. Of the rest, 12% is incinerated and the remainder ends up in landfills or the natural environment.The result is that up to 12million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year. Once plastic reaches the natural environment the results can be devastating. This is where companies like RecycleX make a difference.
RecycleX, a Gujarat based startup was founded amid the pandemic when Vedant Gandhi, a construction material expert based in Germany got in touch with Abhishek Chhazed, an innovation enthusiast and a plastic recycling expert, and decided to pool in their expertise and shape it into a startup.
RecycleX has developed products such as Paver Blocks, Tiles, Planters & Furniture that are made from 100% recycled materials. The materials include any kind of plastic waste ranging from 3rd grade PE films to anything made from PVC, thermoplastic as well as a thermoset. Apart from that, the rest of the material is also procured from waste like industrial and C&D waste making it a fully recycled product.
The products are made according to IS standards (15658:2006) and have better results than benchmark requirements.Working with a prototype Abhishek had previously made in his 3rd year of college, together, they built a prototype with improved functionality and appearance. RecycleX uses industrial/construction & demolition waste and converts it into 100% eco-friendly recycled sand and aggregates.
In terms of environmental impact, the whole manufacturing process is carbon negative. Around 1,00,000 plastic bottles were used in production in 2020 and 10,00,000 bottles in 2021 . Future goals include building an “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR solutions)” to provide end-to-end solutions to industries and brands.
For their commendable work with waste, RecycleX won the India-Australia Circular Economy Challenge organised by the Atal Innovation Mission and were felicitated in the presence of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison. They were also finalists at the Circular Economy Challenge, Europe. The company was also chosen as one of the Top 30 Social Innovative Solutions for Youth Co: Lab India 2020, apart from being recognized by Startup India and Swachhalay which is mentored by the Prime Minister’s Office.
X Building Products Series from recycleX is a complete range of internationally certified solutions from our first of its kind manufacturing facilities in Vilayat Bharuch, It is completely automated and uses state of the art technology.Concrete debris becomes an aggregate source for new concrete and pavers.The company uses plastic waste for fillers making it less water absorbing. Industrial waste is used as a binding agent, reducing the usage of new cement by 90% thereby reducing CO2 emissions and resource utilisation. Some of the products manufactured by RecycleX include:
- RECYCLED PLASTIC BUILDING BLOCKS:recycled building blocks are superior in every way: they are weather resistant owing to their low, water absorbing quality. They are versatile, and three times stronger than conventional clay bricks. Additionally, with zero wastage in transport, usage and handling, you save on time and cost.
- RECYCLED PLASTIC PAVER BLOCKS:recycled concrete pavers last longer than standard concrete or asphalt. Flexible in structure, they are suited to seismic hot zones because they adapt to distortion. Compared to concrete slabs, they are also less prone to cracking. Maintaining and repairing pavers is cost effective and efficient; only units that are damaged need replacing.
Their customers are mainly B2B, consisting of developers, government bodies and industries. RecycleX also provides awareness seminars and challenges in both villages and urban societies. The company has recycled around 200 tonnes of industrial waste, recycled 25 tonnes of plastic waste in order to produce 1,25,000 paver blocks and 20,000 bricks saving 120 tonnes of CO2 in the process.
Currently in India, a lack of space, overflowing landfills and inadequate disposal methods forced courts to intervene and issue stringent restrictions on dumping and a ban on and relocation of new constructions, plastic & industrial waste. This is the perfect opportunity for us as a country to adopt recycled materials in all aspects in our life.
MATERIAL DEPOTS QUICK 5
- BRAND : RECYCLEX
- CATAGORY: BRICKS
- APPLICATION: CONSTRUCTION/INFRASTRUCTURE
- USP: RECYCLED PLASTIC
- NOTABLE PROJECTS: BHARUCH CITY SPACES, PROJECTS WITH THE GUJARAT GOVERNMENT