Construction Blocks That Work Like LEGO Are Produced From Unrecyclable Plastics

Brief 

Boise, Idaho is finding a workaround for this conundrum. Past initiatives asking residents to sort unrecyclable plastics haven’t worked out as well, so the city has now teamed up with Los Angeles environmental startup ByFusion to squeeze unwanted plastic.

Insight

It’s been stressed for years now that the manufacture and disposal of single-use plastics are key perpetrators of climate change. Unfortunately, there are several reasons for the material still being a mainstay: It’s cheap, lightweight, and prolongs shelf life. The use of plastic is so rampant, recycling infrastructures are having a hard time managing it.

Boise, Idaho, however, is finding a workaround for this conundrum. Past initiatives asking residents to sort unrecyclable plastics haven’t worked out as well, so the city has now teamed up with Los Angeles environmental startup ByFusion to squeeze unwanted plastic into building blocks.

The firm says the components are the “world’s first construction-grade building material made entirely from recycled (and often un-recyclable) plastic waste.” Used plastics are steamed and compressed into 8 x 8 x 16-inch cubes called ‘ByBlocks’, which are sized the same as standard concrete blocks. All this is done through patented machines (‘Blockers’) that shape them into colorful, unprocessed squares.

Each ByBlock weighs 10 pounds lighter than the typical hollow concrete block while sharing the same R-value (thermal resistance). The components can be used to build numerous structures, including privacy fencing, retaining walls, sound walls, accent walls, sheds, bus stops, and furniture.