Method for recycling waste plastic into concrete

A method of recycling a waste polyolefin and making a structural lightweight concrete, the method comprising:

• extruding the waste polyolefin and chopping the extruded waste polyolefin to form waste plastic pieces having a cylindrical shape with a diameter of about 2 mm and 2-5 mm long;
• mixing:
• 12-25 wt % Portland cement;
• 37-57 wt % fine aggregate;
• 5-40 wt % coarse aggregate;
• and
• 5-12 wt % water to form a wet concrete slurry, wherein each weight percentage is relative to a total weight of the wet concrete slurry;
• and
• curing the wet concrete slurry to produce the structural lightweight concrete,
• wherein the fine aggregate is sand with an average particle size of 0.3-1.5 mm,
• wherein the coarse aggregate comprises:
• at least 10 wt % waste plastic pieces having an average longest dimension of 1-12 mm, and
• 1-90 wt % of at least one selected from the group consisting of limestone, perlite, and scoria,
• wherein each weight percentage is relative to a total weight of the coarse aggregate,
• wherein the limestone has an average particle size in a range of 1-20 mm,
• wherein the perlite has an average particle size in a range of 1-10 mm,
• wherein the scoria has an average particle size in a range of 1-30 mm, and
• wherein the structural lightweight concrete has
• a compressive strength of 20-40 MPa,
• a thermal conductivity of 0.50-1.10 W/(m·K), and
• a unit weight of 1,400-2,000 kg/m3.