Turn waste to homes

Challenge:

The potential for upcycling waste plastic and using it as a resource for 3D printing of homes is enormous. On the supply side, the world today produces 300 million tonnes of plastic, of which only 10% is recycled today. Approx. 270 million tonnes are burned, end up in landfills or in the sea. In WOHN’s concept, the waste plastic is used as the structural supporting material, and 3D prints the home in one piece in a sandwich construction. Plastic shavings or waste styrene are used as insulation material, which is blown into the sandwich construction.

Solution:

The problem to be solved is respectively that plastic basically does not comply with the building regulations’ requirements for structural integrity for half an hour in the event of a fire, and is altogether a completely new product and resource that is being introduced into the construction industry via WOHN. Therefore, the goal of the project is to give the blue stamp to the solution and document the solution through the function-based strength & fire strategy, where the product meets BR18 fire requirements.

Effect:

The direct effect on the climate and environment is read in the construction’s LCA, which cuts across the traditional circular up-and-down value chains, and replaces steel and concrete in construction with waste plastic. In this way, a CO2 reduction of 15 tonnes can be achieved for every 20 m2 of housing.