The Potential of Recycled Plastic Bricks: A Bibliometric Study on Carbon Footprint Reduction and Structural Properties

International Journal of Civil Engineering
© 2025 by SSRG - IJCE Journal
Volume 12 Issue 5
Year of Publication : 2025
Authors : Albert Jorddy Valenzuela Inga, Yefry Huincho Quispe, Heydi Karina Hinostroza Maravi, Deyvid Froilán Matamoros Paitán, Carlos Javier Huaman Albino, Gonzalo Genaro Crespo Troya
pdf
How to Cite?

Albert Jorddy Valenzuela Inga, Yefry Huincho Quispe, Heydi Karina Hinostroza Maravi, Deyvid Froilán Matamoros Paitán, Carlos Javier Huaman Albino, Gonzalo Genaro Crespo Troya, "The Potential of Recycled Plastic Bricks: A Bibliometric Study on Carbon Footprint Reduction and Structural Properties," SSRG International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 12,  no. 5, pp. 87-98, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V12I5P108

Abstract:

The construction sector faces environmental challenges, including high energy consumption and pollution from building material production. This study presents a bibliographic review evaluating the use of recycled plastic bricks, employing the Scopus database and VOSviewer software to analyze data and extract insights. Key aspects considered include carbon footprint reduction, thermal insulation, and compressive strength: bibliometric analyses identified frequently occurring keywords, leading research countries, and global publication trends. The results indicate the primary adoption of these bricks in countries with growing infrastructure needs and sustainable development potential. However, Peru exhibits a research gap in this area. Recycled plastic bricks offer environmental advantages, from material sourcing through recycling to application and disposal, contributing to sustainable construction. This study emphasizes responsible plastic waste recycling for eco-friendly building materials, reducing the carbon footprint, enhancing thermal performance in cold climates, and ensuring high compressive strength.

Keywords:

Recycled bricks, Carbon footprint reduction, Compressive Strength, Scientometric.

References:

[1] Plastic, which has Already Choked our Oceans, will Eventually Choke us All if we Don’t Act Quickly, Naciones Unidas, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://news.un.org/es/story/2021/10/1498752
[2] Figures from the World and Peru, Ministry of the Environment, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.minam.gob.pe/menos-plastico-mas-vida/cifras-del-mundo-y-el-peru/
[3] Laura Parker, Why Plastic Pollution became a Global Crisis, National Geographic, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.nationalgeographicla.com/medio-ambiente/2024/04/por-que-la-contaminacion-por-plasticos-se-convirtio-en-una-crisis-mundial
[4] Maria Perevochtchikova, “Environmental Impact Assessment and the Importance of Environmental Indicators,” Management and Public Policy, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 283-312, 2013.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[5] Ostin Garcés Ordóñez, and Mónica Rocío Bayona Arenas, “Impacts of Marine Debris Contamination on the Mangrove Ecosystem of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean,” Journal of Marine and Coastal Sciences, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 145-165, 2019.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[6] Ruth Esther Molina-Castro, Walter Javier Gómez-Ronquillo, and Juan De la Cruz Lozado, “Marine Pollution from Plastic Debris in Countries of the South Pacific Coastal Profile, 2016-2021,” Knowledge Pole: Scientific-Professional Journal, vol. 6, no 5, pp. 458-478, 2021.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[7] Bertha Magdalena Gallo Gallo et al., “Environmental Impact and its Linkage to Social, Biological and Physical Factors in Peru,” Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 27, no. S3, pp. 281-292, 2021.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[8] Valerie Denney, “Plastics and Toxic Chemicals How Plastics Harm Human Health and the Environment, as well as Poisoning the Circular Economy,” Report, International Pollutants Elimination Network, pp. 1-49, 2022.
[Publisher Link]
[9] José Antonio Vera Torrejón, and Paola Caicedo Safra, “The Negative Environmental Impact and its Evaluation Before, during and After the Development of Productive Activities,” Law & Society, vol. 42, pp. 223-232, 2014.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[10] Elisa Rojo-Nieto, and Tania Montoto Martínez, Marine Litter, Plastics, and Microplastics: Origins, Impacts, and Consequences of a Global Threat, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 2017.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[11] Cinthya Carolina Zambrano-Sanchez, Gisela Beatriz Latorre-Castro, and Bladimir Jacinto Carrillo-Anchundia, “Polymeric Materials and Environmental Impact: A Review,” Knowledge Pole: Scientific-Professional Magazine, vol. 7, no. 6, pp. 596-614, 2022.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[12] Bangladesh: Modern Brick Kilns Bring Development Benefits, World Bank Group, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.bancomundial.org/es/news/feature/2016/07/20/modern-brick-kilns-yield-development-benefits-in-bangladesh
[13] Panuwat Joyklad, “Evaluating Research on the Utilization of Recycled Brick Aggregates in Concrete,” Discover Applied Sciences, vol. 6, pp. 1-17, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[14] VOSviewer - Visualizing Scientific Landscapes, YoSigo UGR, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://yosigo.ugr.es/recurso/vosviewer-visualizing-scientific-landscapes/
[15] “VOSviewer is a Free Software Tool for Building and Visualizing Bibliometric Networks,” Open Universe, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://universoabierto.org/2020/02/18/vosviewer-es-una-herramienta-de-software-para-construir-y-visualizar-redes-bibliometricas/
[16] Need to do a Literature Review? VOSviewer is Your Ally, UVR Proofreaders, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.uvrcorrectoresdetextos.com/post/necesitas-hacer-una-revisión-de-literatura-vosviewer-es-tu-aliado
[17] Cecilia Pineda López, “VOS Viewer as a State-of-the-Art Research Tool: Application Example,” Report, The Path of Educational Innovation National Polytechnic Institute Avenue, 2024.
[Publisher Link]
[18] Nees Jan van Eck and Ludo Waltman, “VOSviewer Manual,” Leiden University, Report, pp. 1-53, 2023.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[19] Plastic Recycling: A Closer Look at Its Evolution and Process, Marpa Vacuum Communication, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://marpavacuum.com/reciclado-plastico-evolucion-proceso/
[20] The History of Plastic Recycling: A Sustainable Commitment, Maquireplast, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://maquireplast.com/historia-reciclaje-plastico
[21] Plastic Bricks for Construction, Plastico, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.plastico.com/es/noticias/bloqueplas-se-posiciona-en-el-mercado-mexicano
[22] Carolina Bermudez, Plastic Bricks, an Example of Sustainability in Architecture, AD Magazine, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.admagazine.com/arquitectura/la-empresa-que-tranforma-el-plastico-en-ladrillos-20210209-8099-articulos
[23] Danny Lizarzaburu Aguinaga et al., “Recycling of Rubber and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) to Produce Ecological Bricks in Peru,” Journal of the Italian Association of Chemical Engineering Transactions, vol. 101, pp. 199-204, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[24] Anish Kumar Jha, and Shilpa Pankaj Kewate, “Manufacturing of Eco Bricks: A Sustainable Solution for Construction,” Engineering Proceedings, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 1-8, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[25] Anurag Wahane, Shivendra Dwivedi, and Divya Bajaj, “Effect in Mechanical and Physical Properties of Bricks due to Addition of Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate,” Materials Today: Proceedings, vol. 74, pp. 916-922, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[26] Sabiha Sarwar et al., “Preparation of Environmental Friendly Plastic Brick from High-Density Polyethylene Waste,” Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, vol. 7, pp. 1-11, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[27] Hassan Ali Subhani, Rao Arsalan Khushnood, and Sarmad Shakeel, “Synthesis of Recycled Bricks Containing Mixed Plastic Waste and Foundry Sand: Physico-Mechanical Investigation, Construction and Building Materials,” vol. 416, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[28] History and Evolution of Brick, HONRADOS, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.honra2.com/blog/la-historia-del-ladrillo
[29] Pooja Lamba et al., “Repurposing Plastic Waste: Experimental Study and Predictive Analysis Using Machine Learning in Bricks,” Journal of Molecular Structure, vol. 1317, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[30] Clemente Álvarez, What Contaminates a Brick, EL PAIS Semanal, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://blogs.elpais.com/eco-lab/2010/07/lo-que-contamina-un-ladrillo.html
[31] How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint and What are the Benefits?, HogarSolar, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://hogarsolarenergia.es/como-reducir-la-huella-de-carbono/
[32] Reducing Animal Products: A Positive Impact on the Environment, Portal Ambiental, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.portalambiental.com.mx/SABIAS-QUE/20240126/reduccion-de-productos-de-origen-animal-un-impacto-positivo-en-el-medio-ambiente
[33] The Vital Role of Reforestation in Offsetting CO2 Emissions, Trino: Be Net Zero, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://trinoa.es/insights/reforestacion-y-compensacion-de-emisiones-co2/
[34] Susmita Mondal, and Sameer G. Kulkatni, “Incentivization Model for Better Plastic Waste Management using Blockchain,” 2022 IEEE International Conference on Advanced Networks and Telecommunications Systems (ANTS), Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, pp. 476-481, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[35] Somnuk Thanyavinichakul, and Akhaphan Thanyavinichakul, “The Brick Pavement Production Using Waste Plastic as Ingredients Together,” 2018 22nd International Computer Science and Engineering Conference (ICSEC), Chiang Mai, Thailand, pp. 1-4, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[36] Arul Arulrajah et al., “Recovered Plastic and Demolition Waste Blends as Railway Capping Materials,” Transportation Geotechnics, vol. 22, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[37] Muneeb Farooq et al., “Preliminary Investigations on the Performance and Characterization of Municipal Wastewater Sludge-Derived Biochar–Plastic Composites: A Resource-Oriented Solution to Sludge and Plastic Waste,” Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste, vol. 28, no. 3, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[38] Jianchao Wang et al., “A Novel Process for the Separation of Hazardous Polyvinyl Chloride from Mixed Plastic Waste using Foam Flotation,” Waste Management, vol. 69, pp. 59-65, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[39] Pratibha Negi et al., Plastic Waste as a Resource, its Availability, and the Conversion Technologies for its Transformation to Wealth in the form of Thermal Insulating Materials,” Development of Sustainable Thermal Insulators from Waste Materials, Springer, pp. 83-99, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]
[40] Mireya Lauren Gareca Apaza, “New Sustainable Material: Ecological Bricks Based on Inorganic Wastes,” Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, vol. 18, no. 21, pp. 25-61, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]