Rebricks combines non-recyclable multi-layered plastic waste with cement to produce pavers, thus reducing pollution and demand for carbon-intensive cement.

Like many other countries around the world, Indonesia faces challenges with managing its plastic waste. While there may be a market for certain types of recyclable plastic, this is not the case for the multi-layered plastics used to keep food fresh (e.g. potato chip packets). These are made of layers of different plastics and aluminium foil, and require complex chemical processes to recycle. As there is not enough economic incentive to recycle them, they are typically sent to landfill or for incineration, and often end up blowing into rivers and the ocean due to their light weight.

Rebricks has developed a concrete paver containing 20% multi-layered plastic waste. By trialing various approaches over 18 months, they arrived at a formula with sufficient strength and quality to take to market. The waste multi-layered plastic is sourced from 3 collection points around Jakarta, and via a collaboration with a food manufacturing company. They plan to pursue further partnerships of this nature.

The Rebricks factory has the capacity to recycle up to 88,000 discarded food packets every day in the process of producing 100 square meters of pavers daily. This reduces the amount of multi-layered plastic buried in landfill or polluting waterways, and cuts demand for carbon-intensive cement used in the production of paving bricks by 20%.