Plastic waste removed from Amazonian rivers has found a new destination in Belém, the capital of Pará, where it is turned into aggregate used to manufacture construction components. The technology, developed by Pará-based startup FlexStone in partnership with researchers at UFPA (Federal University of Pará), uses plastic waste collected by the Promares project, an initiative aimed at reducing plastic waste in Brazilian rivers and oceans.The project's coordinator in the state, Neyson Mendonça, says the process transforms an environmental liability into a high-value raw material. "The technology creates new job and income opportunities for recycling cooperatives, promotes social inclusion and contributes to a more sustainable production chain in the Amazon," he said.
According to FlexStone CEO Rodrigo Hühn, the process's distinguishing feature is that it can use virtually any type of plastic, without separating it by color or composition and without using water. "We turn waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or degrade into microplastics into an aggregate for the construction industry," he says.
The eco-friendly aggregate is already being used in park benches, planters and trash bins along waterways revitalized by the city government. The technology has also led to a sustainable housing prototype at the Guamá Science and Technology Park, built with eco-friendly aggregate bricks and incorporating the equivalent of around 300,000 PET bottles.
