• Valorized wastes are reviewed as binders and aggregates in polymer concrete (PC). • Mechanical properties are compared against OPC and regular PC. • PCs with recycled components maintain superior durability and sustainability. • These PCs reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support circular economy principles. • 3D printing and bio-based binders support innovative, sustainable PC solutions. Escalating waste generation and cement-related greenhouse gas emissions have intensified interest in waste-reducing construction materials and lower-carbon binder pathways. This structured review examines polymer concrete (PC) formulations incorporating valorized wastes as binders and/or aggregates to reduce reliance on virgin feedstocks while maintaining performance, while geopolymer systems are discussed separately as adjacent low-carbon comparators. Screening of current literature is synthesized by recycled binder routes, recycled aggregates and fillers, and comparator geopolymer-based systems. Reported compressive strengths for PC range from 70 to 120 MPa, compared with 27.4 to 32.6 MPa for ordinary Portland cement concrete. Production stage data show that PC is not inherently lower carbon. Ordinary concrete was reported at 423 kg CO 2 per m 3 (45.2 MPa) in comparison to PC at 1659 kg CO 2 per m 3 (111 MPa), yielding about 3.9 versus 6.2 kg CO 2 per tonne per MPa. Lower carbon pathways are reported for geopolymer comparator systems at 242.87 kg CO 2 per m 3 , a 56.02% reduction versus traditional concrete, while an LCA reported GWP values of 8.95 versus 1.38 kg CO 2 per unit for traditional concrete versus PC and an 84.24% reduction in DALY. Overall, waste valorized PC aligns with circular economy goals, but reproducibility and durability depend on resin selection and content, recyclate variability, contamination control, dispersion, and processing stability. Future studies should standardize novel materials and formulations of PC, as well as enhance manufacturing processes in line with broader applications that reflect sustainability.
Tibni et al. (Fri,) studied this question.