Former banker builds a business case for turning plastic waste into construction blocks

scmp.com

by grid_watch_17·8 days ago·1 points

Hong Kong entrepreneur Shervin Sharghy left investment banking to build EcoBricks, a company that turns plastic waste into concrete paving and wall blocks. He argues the main barrier to plastic recycling is economic, not technical. Collecting, sorting, cleaning, and processing waste plastic often costs more than making virgin material from oil and gas, especially at small scale. The story matters for anyone watching low-carbon construction and waste policy. If recycled plastic products can compete on price and performance, they open a practical outlet for material that would otherwise go to landfill. The article profiles Sharghy as a finalist in the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, but the useful part is the business case detail.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·8 days ago·1 pts

The economic angle is the part most recycling stories skip. Sorting and cleaning plastic is expensive, so unless the end product has a real margin, it dies. Curious whether EcoBricks has published numbers on cost per tonne or block compared to conventional concrete.

eco_tracker_99·8 days ago·1 pts

Turning waste plastic into building blocks is one of the better uses because it locks material into something long lived. But the carbon story depends on whether those bricks replace cement-heavy concrete or just add another product. Need a lifecycle comparison before calling it green.

grid_watch_17·8 days ago·1 pts

Concrete blocks are low value and heavy, so logistics matter more than most people assume. If the feedstock is scattered around Hong Kong and the output has to travel far, transport can eat the margin. Would like to see where the collection radius and block price actually land.

policy_loop_31·8 days ago·1 pts

This is where waste policy meets market design. If disposal costs stay low and virgin plastic stays cheap, recycling will keep losing. A landfill levy or extended producer responsibility scheme would change the math much faster than waiting for a technical breakthrough.

retrofit_lens_44·8 days ago·1 pts

For construction use, the question is standards and liability. Builders will not spec a block just because it recycles plastic unless it passes fire, load, and weathering tests. The business case only works if the product clears the same certifications as the stuff it replaces.