Secondary materials: Engineering properties, environmental consequences, and social and economic impacts. Final report

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10110972· OSTI ID:10110972

Breslin, V; Reaven, S; Schwartz, M; Swanson, L; Zweig, M; Bortman, M; Schubel, J

This report investigates two secondary materials, plastic lumber made from mixed plastic waste, and cement blocks and structures made with incinerator ash. Engineering properties, environmental impacts, and energy costs and savings of these secondary materials are compared to standard lumber products and cement blocks. Market capacity and social acceptance of plastic lumber and stabilized ash products are analyzed. These secondary materials apparently have potential markets; however, their economic value is primarily that they will not take up landfill space. For plastic lumber and stabilized incinerator ash products, marine and highway construction seem ideal public works applications. Incinerator ash may be suitable to use in seawalls, jetties, fishing reefs, highway barriers, and roadbed applications. Docks, piers, highway sound barriers, parking stops, and park furniture may all be made from plastic lumber. To encourage public acceptance and improve the market potential of secondary materials, these activities could be beneficial: industry should emphasize developing useful, long-lived products; industry and governments should create product performance criteria; government should provide rigorous testing and demonstration programs; and government and industry should cooperate to improve public outreach and educational programs.

• Research Organization: State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook, NY (United States). Waste Management Inst.
• Sponsoring Organization: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY (United States)
• OSTI ID: 10110972
• Report Number(s): NYSERDA-93-16; ON: TI94004724
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: Aug 1993
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
SOLID WASTES
RECYCLING
PROGRESS REPORT
MARKET
WOOD-PLASTIC COMPOSITES
ASHES
INCINERATORS
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
ENERGY ANALYSIS
NEW YORK
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
320305
320604
360600
290500
INDUSTRIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
OTHER MATERIALS
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEMONSTRATION, AND COMMERCIALIZATION