Low-carbon transformation of construction materials using waste glass
Jan 2023
In Hong Kong, about 7% of CO2 emission comes from wastes, mainly from landfills. Glass waste is a key component of solid wastes, with about 200 tonnes of glass waste disposed in landfills every day. However, recovery rate of waste glass has stood consistently at lower than 20% in the past.
Waste reduction and recycling are important measures to alleviate over-reliance on landfills for municipal solid waste disposal. Transformation of waste glass to useful resources and high-value added products creates a substantial waste management framework in Hong Kong. This PolyU research project supports Hong Kong Government’s policy in achieving carbon neutrality, and it also offers practical solutions to promote glass recycling.
This project provides a critical waste management framework with recycing of glass waste to low-carbon construction materials.
In construction industry, production of concrete is the largest contributor to CO2 emission, accounting for about 8% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The research project aims to develop novel glass-based concrete products for pilot-scale utilization in long-span structures, high-rise buildings and pavements.
Recycling of waste glass can reduce embodied carbon of construction materials and produce high performance low-carbon construction products including ultra high-performance concrete, durable self-leveling cement mortar and high strength pervious concrete. These low-carbon construction products made from waste glass are scientifically designed to optimize performance and minimize cost and environmental impacts. The completion of this project would provide a total solution to waste glass problem in Hong Kong.
This waste management and reduction project received total grant of HK$5.29 million from the Green Tech Fund for a period of three years.
(The Government set up the Green Tech Fund (GTF) in 2020 to fund research and development (R&D) projects which help Hong Kong decarbonise and enhance environmental protection. The assessment committee is chaired by the Director of Environmental Protection and comprises members from academia, industry and green groups.)
