Innovating traditional building materials in Chembe, Malawi: assessing post-consumer waste glass and burnt clay bricks for performance and circularity
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Date
2021
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Across the Global South, post-consumer waste glass is an often dumped, and under-utilised resource. Even in Malawi, with widespread return schemes, many barriers exist, inhibiting reuse, and necessitating appropriate solutions. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of post-consumer waste glass as a coarse aggregate within burnt clay bricks, and to assess the feasibility for the recovery of this waste material from dumped stocks within Chembe. Using a brick design and testing methodology, which could be replicated within a rural African context, we tested a range of glass additions (both quantity and size of particle) for compressive strength and water absorption properties. Our results suggest that waste glass can function as a performance enhancer, with positive effects on compressive strength observed at up to 10% crushed waste glass content. These findings support existing literature on glass waste additions, yet show that optimal results can also be had with post-consumer waste glass and in low income, and less technology-reliant contexts. Moreover, our findings suggest that current above-ground stocks of waste glass are sufficient to support the production of hybrid building materials for decades, however further innovation is necessary in order to achieve a sustainable mode of practice.
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Publication status
published
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Book title
Journal / series
Volume
14 (4)
Pages / Article No.
874 - 883
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
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Edition / version
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Landfill mining; Solid waste; Africa; Circular economy; Alternative building materials
Organisational unit
09746 - Tilley, Elizabeth / Tilley, Elizabeth