Our UNH fellow, Koorosh (Kai) Asadifakhr, led a groundbreaking project to explore how waste plastics can be transformed into value-added materials for the precast concrete industry.
Why Sustainability in Precast Concrete Matters
Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials in the world—and one of the most carbon-intensive, accounting for nearly 7–8% of global CO₂ emissions. At the same time, more than 300 million tons of plastic waste are produced every year, much of which ends up in landfills or oceans. These two global challenges demand bold, integrated solutions.
At EZ-CRETE, we asked: Can waste plastic help us build more responsibly while reducing carbon emissions?
Introducing Plasticrete: A Game-Changer for Precast
Kai’s fellowship focused on two promising strategies:
- Plasticrete – a mix of waste plastic and aggregate melted together into a durable, non-permeable material.
- Plasticrete Inserts – precast concrete enhanced with Plasticrete components that reduce concrete volume without sacrificing durability.
Key Findings from the Fellowship:
- Strength & Performance: Plasticrete achieved compressive strengths up to 34.9 MPa (4,567 psi), making it suitable for non-structural applications such as utility pads, bases, and blocks
- Material Savings: Plasticrete inserts reduced concrete use by 12.5% with only a 25% strength trade-off, a manageable balance for overdesigned precast products
- Moisture Resistance: Increasing plastic content from 50% to 70% cut water absorption dramatically—from ~13% to just ~1%. This opens the door for low-permeability, durable applications.
The Environmental Impact
If implemented across our current EZ-CRETE production, this innovation could annually:
- Avoid 184 tons of CO₂ emissions
- Divert 351 tons of plastic from landfills
At a U.S. industry-wide scale, the potential grows exponentially:
- 1.1 million tons of CO₂ prevented every year
- 2.1 million tons of plastic diverted from landfills annually
This is the power of circular economy thinking—turning waste into opportunity.
Challenges and the Path Ahead
Like any pioneering solution, challenges remain. From managing fume emissions during Plasticrete fabrication to refining insert placement and addressing shrinkage, scaling production will require innovation and collaboration. But the fellowship demonstrated clear pathways forward: optimizing mix design, improving bonding treatments, and enhancing manufacturing processes.
Our next steps include further testing durability under real-world conditions—freeze–thaw cycles, UV exposure, and long-term field trials—to ensure these sustainable solutions deliver on both performance and environmental goals.
Building a Stronger, More Sustainable Future
This fellowship is more than research—it’s a blueprint for a sustainable future in construction. By rethinking materials and embracing collaboration between academia and industry, we can create real change.
A huge thank you goes to the UNH Sustainability Institute, to our dedicated fellow Koorosh (Kai) Asadifakhr, and to the EZ-CRETE team for their vision and commitment.
At EZ-CRETE, we remain steadfast in our mission: to innovate, to lead, and to build precast concrete solutions that strengthen both communities and the planet.