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Solution developed in Boa Vista combines concrete and recycled plastic to reuse urban waste, reduce waste on construction sites, and propose an alternative to traditional bricks in residential, commercial, and industrial works.
A concrete block developed in Boa Vista, Roraima, uses granulated recycled plastic in its composition and was created to reduce waste in civil construction, with planned application in residential, commercial, and industrial works.
Called Plasbloc, the product reuses waste such as PET bottles and materials collected at recycling points and scrap yards, transforming part of the discarded plastic into masonry pieces.
The technology is signed by Almir Ribeiro de Oliveira, a structural building technician and creator of Plasbloc Intelligent Blocks, a company that operates in the production and commercialization of ecological blocks made with recycled materials.
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According to the Research Support Foundation of the State of Roraima, the proposal was born from observing the volume of plastic discarded by workers on a construction site.
Recycled plastic becomes aggregate in the concrete block
Unlike a brick made solely of plastic, the Plasbloc maintains a base connected to concrete, combining cement, sand, water, catalyst, and recycled granulated plastic used as coarse aggregate.
This composition allows the solution to approach traditional construction, while also creating a destination for plastic waste that could otherwise end up in irregular disposal, landfills, or dumps.
In the proposed process, short-lived plastic materials can be shredded, granulated, and reinserted into a more durable piece, connecting urban recycling and civil engineering.
Besides the composition, the block’s design integrates the innovation presented by the company, as the shape was designed to optimize resources, reduce waste, and facilitate assembly in different types of works.
Less mortar and fewer steps in masonry
Among the differentials pointed out by Almir is the elimination of mortar in masonry elevation, a feature associated with the attempt to reduce costs and simplify part of the work on the site.
In a statement to the Sebrae News Agency of Roraima, the entrepreneur stated that the material aims to lower construction costs because it does not require mortar to raise the wall or traditional finishing.
With this proposal, the product targets a sensitive stage of civil construction, where the consumption of materials, execution time, and waste directly influence the final cost.
Even so, any application in buildings depends on technical proof, laboratory tests, and compliance with Brazilian standards, especially because blocks used in walls need to ensure strength, safety, and performance.
Programa Centelha-RR helped bring the idea to life
The development of Plasbloc received support from the Programa Centelha-RR, an initiative aimed at stimulating innovative enterprises in the state and executed by the Research Support Foundation of the State of Roraima.
Through the program, selected projects receive training, financial resources, and support to transform ideas into businesses, which helped the technology advance in the technical part.
In the case of Plasbloc, the support was cited as essential to enable laboratory studies, improve the material’s strength, and bring the product closer to the normative requirements of civil construction.
Almir stated that he has been working on the construction system for 18 years, but was able to develop the proposal in Boa Vista after overcoming difficulties related to laboratory costs and adjustments in the material’s alloy.
Recycling of PET and scrap arrives at the construction site
The origin of the plastic used in the blocks involves recycled materials obtained from collection points and scrap, creating a chain that starts with urban disposal and ends in a construction input.
By reusing this material, the project transforms everyday consumption waste into components applied in buildings, a sector that uses large volumes of inputs and usually generates waste during the execution of works.
In practice, the appeal of Plasbloc lies in the combination of waste reuse, reduction of stages, and pursuit of lower cost, without completely distancing the product from the logic of conventional masonry.
During a workshop on sustainability and business innovation held on June 26, 2023, at the Airton Dias Building in Boa Vista, Almir presented the project and associated the technology with environmental preservation.
On the same occasion, the entrepreneur also linked the use of the block to cost reduction in construction, reinforcing that the proposal aims to unite environmental benefit and economic viability in a solution applied to the construction site.
Sustainable construction still requires technical validation
Although the use of recycled plastic is the most striking element, the technology needs to be analyzed within the technical criteria required for any material used in construction.
Blocks used in walls must meet requirements for strength, safety, and performance compatible with each type of application, which is why laboratory tests are a decisive part of product development.
The case of Roraima shows how a solution created from an everyday problem, the disposal of plastic packaging in construction sites, can reach the productive sector with the support of innovation programs.
By transforming plastic waste into concrete blocks, Plasbloc expands the discussion on sustainable construction, waste reduction, and alternatives to traditional bricks in projects seeking lower cost and greater efficiency.
