Arqlite turns plastic waste into value by manufacturing construction materials from all forms of plastic waste. The use of non-recyclable plastic is unique, as there are few means of disposing of waste plastic beyond landfills or incinerators. The final products are eco-friendly, lighter, and quieter, and they have better insulating properties than traditional construction materials. Concrete is the second most used material after water, and it is responsible for 5 percent of the global carbon footprint. Plastic waste reached 300 million tons in 2015, and this figure keeps rising. Arqlite’s mission is to help reduce the impacts of both concrete and plastic waste by developing processes and materials that combine the best of plastic polymers into massive industry as construction.
Experience
Sebastian Sajoux is founder and CEO of Arqlite, a company that develops new processes and materials to turn plastic waste into value. His experience as an environmental consultant working on Zero Waste to Landfill policies led him to develop a solution for one of the world’s biggest environmental problems: non-recyclable plastics. After deep research on plastic polymers and construction materials, he and his team developed a new process that can transform almost any plastic waste into more efficient materials for the construction industry. With letters of intent from such companies as Mondelez, Unilever, and Danone indicating their willingness to use the recycling services, and explicit interest from concrete companies LafargeHolcim, U.S. Concrete, and Stoneway Concrete to use the construction materials, Sebastian is now leading the R&D stage to finish field tests and certifications, and deliver the first loads of artificial rocks.
http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/sebastian-sajoux