Plastic waste is becoming extremely threatening to the environment due to their high quantities generated which pose serious harm to both the environment and its inhabitants. A major victim of this menace is the marine environment. Plastic wastes generated on land find their way to water bodies where they cause detrimental effects such as flooding and poisoning of the animals in the marine ecosystem. The plastics in the marine environment, which are ingested in fish, are also deleterious to human health if such fish are consumed. Cancer is a major disease that emanates as a consequence. In order to find an effective way to manage these wastes and improve the sustainability of our environment, this study, therefore, explores various approaches to recycling plastic wastes into new products. The critical threat of the presence of plastic wastes in our marine environment is also presented. The limitation of the use of plastic waste for construction applications alongside the prospects is discussed. It is concluded that the use of plastic wastes for construction applications will improve the sustainability of the environment significantly, and also serve as a reliable source of materials for construction purposes. In addition, the use of recycled plastic wastes as a component in cementitious composites has been found to be the most beneficial as it can be used to replace all solid components of the composite. Finally, areas for further studies are also presented.

Introduction

Urbanization and changing human lifestyles are major contributors to the high volume of wastes generated and disposed of annually. There are human activities, in product manufacturing and post utilization that generate wastes. Yet, these wastes are mostly managed by disposal into landfills. However, high costs associated with landfilling, coupled with its ineffectiveness in some less developed precinct, and land-space consumption, can be a major constraint to the management of these wastes. The volume of solid wastes generated increases annually, whereas only a limited amount is recycled and landfilled, and a large proportion of wastes such as plastic wastes (PW) are deposited directly or indirectly to the marine environment.

One of the solid wastes generated in large quantities and being of a high threat to the sustainability of our planet is plastic wastes. It has been reported that damage occurs to ecology, economy, and aesthetics when plastic debris enters into oceans. About 300 million metric tons of plastic wastes have been estimated to be generated annually . Large quantities of plastic wastes are generated all over the world, because of its vast application, such as in automotive, manufacturing, packaging, and healthcare. A report by the Environmental Protection Agency  has shown that out of several tons of plastic wastes generated annually, only 7% is recycled, about 8% incinerated and the remaining are landfilled. However, the high cost and energy associated with the landfilling process have resulted in these wastes being deposited in water bodies. In addition, the low biodegradability of plastic poses a huge limitation on its recyclability and disposal into the environment. Therefore, finding applications where plastic wastes (PW) are useful will proffer a sustainable way to its management. In addition, reuse and recycling of plastic wastes have been found to be more effective when compared to landfilling and incineration.

Not able attempts such as source reduction, reuse and landfilling have been employed to reduce the critical amount of PW generated annually. However, owing to rapid developments, there has been a persistent increase in the amount of PW generated. Therefore, finding effective alternative ways to recycle this plastic waste will go a long way to ensure a sustainable environment. Recycling PW will prevent contamination of the environment and will add value to the PW by creating an avenue to incorporate these materials for different applications such as in construction. The opportunity to use these PW for construction applications will not only conserve the marine environment but reduces the overall environmental threat the production of these plastic imposes. In addition, the possible use of PW for construction applications will help the construction industry to achieve its sustainability objectives. Significant reduction in energy consumption and carbon emission will ensue when the PW is reused as the amount of new plastic processed and produced will reduce.

#Introduction Buildup recycling capability

# Buildup recycling capability

#Plastic waste

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