University of Utah civil engineer Lawrence Reaveley came up with a potentially brilliant new idea for disposing off the enormous amount of garbage generated on the planet each day, in the form of a new patent idea that claims plastics – which make up the majority of wastes worldwide – could be used for construction purposes, sound, or heat insulation, as well as for generating electricity through burning. If the patent is approved, it could mean a significant breakthrough in the field of recycling and waste management.
“The present invention relates to methods for reclaiming plastics and cellulose materials for use in a variety of applications, including as alternative fuel sources,” the abstract of the application that Reaveley submitted for consideration reads.
It goes on to say that, “According to one embodiment of the invention, waste is received, which includes cellulose materials and plastics. Such materials are sorted from other materials, and the cellulose and plastic materials are shredded or ground, and then blended together. The blended materials can then be fed to an energy converter, such as a combustion unit or a gasifier, where they are burned as fuel source or used to create synthetic gas.”
The scientist also thought of other possible uses for these materials, as the patent reads that “Blended materials are heated or have a binding element added thereto. Such mixture is then compressed to form a desired shape or sized object, and that object can then be packaged, distributed, or used. The blended object can be used as a fuel source, or as a building, sound attenuation, or insulation material.”
Basically, slabs made of plastic, either pressed together with fiberglass of metal rods (for resistance), or melted so that the plastic keeps the mixture together, could be used for insulating buildings both thermally and acoustically. If they are reinforced, the slabs could also be used as walls and other high-strain construction elements, and could even be employed as a structure for new edifices.
Although not all the uses stated in the patent application may be viable, using the mixture of plastic and cellulose from plants to power generators could even help solve two problems at once (energy shortages and landfill “overcrowding”). However, from an environmental standpoint, the patent's only drawback is the fact that burning plastic releases dangerous fumes that pollute the atmosphere.
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