DEVELOPMENT OF ECO-FRIENDLY CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS FROM WASTE GLASS

摘要

In Hong Kong, about 90,000 tonnes of waste glass are produced every year representing a major fraction of the total solid waste stream. Currently, only less than 8% of the waste glass is recycled. The disposal of the waste glass has become a severe environmental problem in the territory. Government sources have indicated that there is an acute shortage of landfill space in Hong Kong. The three mega landfills in Hong Kong will become full within 5-6 years' time if they are not extended. Exploring means of reducing and recycling the waste glass is thus of prime importance. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been conducting research on methods to recycle waste glass for over ten years. There is great potential to use recycled glass in unbound road sub-base, concrete blocks, cement mortar/concrete and as supplementary cementitious material (SCM), depending on the size of glass particles. Some of the developed techniques have been commercially utilized in industry. This paper summarizes the major findings of the research conducted, and introduces some successful cases of utilizing waste glass in construction products in Hong Kong.