Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) straps cannot be mechanically recycled in certain regions where the required technology is unavailable or where the scale of operations is insufficient to ensure economic viability. They tend to be accumulated in the recycling chain, from industrial generators, to waste separation plants and even recycling plants and landfills. However, PET straps could be used in construction as aggregates for concrete paving blocks or in panels with epoxy resin binder. This study evaluates two open-loop alternatives for recycling discarded PET straps into construction products considering Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors of the PESTEL framework. The political, social, and legal conditions were comparable for both alternatives, whereas the economic and environmental assessments favoured the panel-based solution. However, the technological analysis indicated that panel production remains at an early stage of development, introducing uncertainty and potentially delaying its large-scale implementation. In contrast, the manufacturing process for paving blocks is based on established and readily available technology, allowing for immediate implementation under current conditions.
Ojeda et al. (Thu,) studied this question.