Innovating traditional building materials in Chembe, Malawi: assessing post-consumer waste glass and burnt clay bricks for performance and circularity. Issue 4 (4th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mahdjoub, Noredine; Kalina, Marc; Augustine, Alex; Tilley, Elizabeth
• Is Part Of: International journal of sustainable engineering. Volume 14:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 874
• Page End: 883
• Publication Date: 2021-07-04
• Subjects: Landfill Mining -- solid Waste -- Africa -- circular Economy -- alternative Building Materials; Sustainable engineering -- Periodicals; Environmental engineering -- Periodicals; 620
• DOI: 10.1080/19397038.2021.1889706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1939-7038

Abstract

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.