The North Pacific Gyre is a massive oceanic wasteland of plastic pollution. It was discovered in 1997. Today, it covers an area the size of Africa.
The extent of plastic polluting the planet…
is far worse than anyone imagined. –Green Builder
Plastics have been much appreciated and their uses unlimited. Their powers of durability and abilities to withstand tough weather conditions make them the ideal material for many applications. But therein lies the problem: They don’t erode or dissolve over time. Plastics never leave.
Recycled plastic roofing is one of the best ideas of this century.
Demand for Recycled Plastic Roofing
The demand for recycled plastic roofing is anticipated to go, well, through the roof. It was expected to reach 35.6 million squares in 2021.
Demand will be driven by:
- Consumer interest in the use of thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) membranes
- Contractor preference for single-ply membranes vs. multi-ply built-up roof (BUR) systems
- Rising use of environmentally friendly white/light-colored roofing materials
- Widespread availability of easy-to-install self-adhesive membranes
The MRFF (Materials Recovery for the Future) is a nonprofit investigating the feasibility of recycling flexible plastic packaging. In February, Kraft Heinz announced the successful completion of a pilot project testing the application of roof boards made from recycled plastic materials.
The boards were 4´x 8´ and 94% of each board was made of post-consumer recycled plastic and fiber. If the plastic roofing performs as well as standard building materials, Kraft Heinz may standardize its use.
“This Kraft Heinz project is a powerful example of environmental stewardship,” said Susan Graff of MRFF. “Working with recyclers, they’ve provided a model for addressing expectations for full life-cycle management of plastic while using an efficient, low-cost package for consumer product protection.”
You Build Your Own Future
There are plenty of exciting possibilities for the future of construction materials. Recycled plastic roofing is one of them.
The future of your business depends on proactive or reactive options. You can lead the way with technology-driven decision-making or you can wait to see what the others are doing then try to get a piece of the pie.
Construction Monitor has data analytics you can use for business development. If you need to know more about how to use building permit statistics, please contact us today.