Recycling of plastic waste in the structure of some landscape morphological elements

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1 Recycling of plastic waste in the structure of some landscape morphological elements DOINA MIRA DASCĂLU Department of Horticultural Technologies Landscape Architecture Specialization "Ion Ionescu de la Brad" University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, Iaşi, ROMANIA Abstract: The accelerated pollution of the environment with great accumulations of waste forced used to review our attitude towards plastics whose waste is difficult to process, store and recycle. How do we solve the issue of plastic waste accumulations, what new ecological and sustainable recycling possibilities can we find to diminish these accumulations? The main idea of this paperwork is to recycle plastic waste by its inclusion in the structure of some landscape morphological elements, covered in the end by vegetation and natural finishing materials. However, we underline the fact that we discussed only a provisional resolution until science will be able to decompose the plastic at its natural basic matter. Key-Words: recycling, plastic waste, ecological elements, landscape modules. 1 Introduction The accelerated pollution of the environment with great accumulations of waste forced used to review our attitude towards plastics whose waste is difficult to process, store and recycle [1]. It is already well-known the fact that most plastics are not biodegradable, they do not decompose in organic compounds; the gas combination discharged by melting is extremely poisonous for the environment, destroying the ozone layer; it was concluded that it is easier and cheaper to recycle plastic in a sustainable way, than to produce new materials made up of plastic waste. Until now, the most used way of usefully recycle plastic was represented by PET package constructions. These constructions were globally experimented since the 90 s especially in areas with a very low income population. A wide variety of buildings as greenhouses, dwellings, schools, community centers, were built. Many of these projects serve the purpose of social benefits, not economically or ecologically. From a landscape point of view, waste recycling has come to the attention of specialists mainly by successfully putting into practice rehabilitation projects of waste polluted areas. Such a project is the project of Vall den Joan-Spain, awarded in 2008 for rehabilitating a former waste disposal area [3]. There, large decorative walls were erected using waste from the area, compressed and covered in metallic meshes. The external aspect of the waste was left free and exposed, or was partially covered with vegetation. 2 Possibilities of landscape recycling of plastic waste for accumulation reduction We won a higher degree of human awareness and discrimination, because we were forced to solve and to finalize many international cases of regeneration of landscape polluted with plastic waste [2]. We have learned a lot from these cases. Yet, despite the recycling ideas of plastic waste created until now, the plastic waste accumulations are continuously increasing, generating many acute issues unsolved from many points of view. One of them would be the acute absence of possibilities for an unpolluted storage. How do we solve the issue of plastic waste accumulations, what new ecological and sustainable recycling possibilities can we find to diminish these accumulations? In this context, this paperwork researches and proposes some ways of using plastic waste, in order to create an esthetic landscape ambient, with benefic anti-pollution, psychic-emotional, social and economic effects. This study belongs to a more ample research of possibilities of landscape recycling of plastic waste through useful, multifunctional, ecological and profitable ways [1]. ISBN:

2 General waste recycling using landscape techniques represents a topical issue [4]. The cleaning actions of urban and natural areas, from unnecessary and non-degradable plastic waste, can be continued and completed by ecologic and ambient design proposals. The main idea of this paperwork is to recycle plastic waste by its inclusion in the structure of some landscape morphological elements. However, we underline the fact that we discussed only a provisional resolution, until science will be able to decompose the plastic at its natural basic matter. These solutions would be inexpensive with the purpose to increase the degree of public comfort and the general life quality, to trigger the awareness of inhabitants regarding the benefic effects of environment protection, also solving some of the acute issues of waste management. 3 Plastic waste recycling by its inclusion in the structure of some landscape elements The paperwork proposals of recycling plastic waste by its transformation in a filling/structural material of some landscape elements, involves concepts of ecological design and esthetic composition. We can create either some esthetic hilliness of the terrain or multifunctional furniture objects within some zonal landscape arrangements (fig. 1). Fig. 1 - Arrangement with all elements. Concept Doina The idea of creating this kind of hilliness is a new and original one. The idea of creating objects is not new, but the concept of modular and multifunctional landscape design is original. These proposals are creative-alternative options, both for a multiple and sustainable regeneration of some urban, rural or natural degraded/polluted areas and also for the ambientation of unpolluted areas that need improvement. These solutions can be also successfully applied in the case of garden roof arrangements, due to the very small weight of the plastic waste structure, of fixture modules and earth mounds that will not burden the resistant floors of terraces. In order to be used as filling/structure, the waste should be first selected and compressed. These structures can be covered in the end either totally with vegetation, or partially, depending on needs, certain portions can be covered with finishes of natural materials (wood or tile), stylistically adapted to the designed landscape compositions. We mention that, although we are talking about plastic, a polluting material from many points of view, the proposed solutions in this paperwork are ecological and sustainable, offering many advantages: -these solutions recycle plastic waste from a landscape point of view, contributing to the decrease of waste accumulations; -vegetation covering the plastic structures offers sanitary-hygienic anti-polluting effects, also esthetic ecologic advantages, prevents psychic pollution, reduces the excess of urban heating, can refresh the abandoned, monotonous areas, giving them magnetism and attracting visitors; - the materials, construction and maintenance of all elements will have low costs. 3.1 Remodeling of terrain using plastic waste The landscape remodeling of terrain using plastic waste constitutes a cheap and efficient solution, easy to carry out, that will contribute in the end to the rehabilitation of some monotonous lands, lacking magnetism, unused to their maximum potency, giving them a new esthetic and natural aspect. The concept proposed in this paper is original and was not used before. The proposed solutions can be applied both to horizontal lands and to sloping lands. The solution should be judiciously used, only on reduced portions of land. Fig. 2 - Small earth round shapes. Concept Doina The esthetic forms should be adapted to the landscape composition style: we can create small ISBN:

3 earth mounds, with round-organic shapes on horizontal areas (fig. 2), or, in case of a slope, terraced rectangular games can be created (fig. 3). Fig. 3 - Terraced rectangular games. Concept Doina The created hilliness should have small dimensions (height and width of max. 1.0 m and a length of max m) in order to avoid soil waterproofing by covering large land surfaces with these plastic structures. The created volumetric games should be covered in full with vegetation, turf and plants esthetic composition. Elaboration, structure and used materials (fig.4): - preliminary, according to the landscape design, on the chosen location, the land is cleaned and the desired level elevation marks are calculated; - the plastic waste is selected and compressed according to the proposed volumetry of compositional design, in curved or rectangular modules; - a stainless steel mesh with eyeholes of cm covers the entire volume offering unity and resistance; after placing the volume in the desired place, this mesh should be fixed in the land with the help of some deeply fixed stainless cramps; Fig. 4 - Section through the hilliness. Concept Doina - over the steel mesh, a geotextile mesh or a geogrill mesh is fixed with thick or medium eyeholes; geotextile mesh is selected in the case of grasses covering, or geo-grills are used in case of wood plants; on these meshes/grills the plant roots would hang for stabilization in the soil; -over these meshes, fertile soil should be laid out, the layer s thickness depending on the used plants: about cm of fertile soil for turf, herbs and frost resistant sub-shrubs: for small sized shrubs. For covering the hilliness with vegetation, small sized plants are selected that do not grow in height, in order not to be trimmed regularly. The optimal plantation period is April/September and soil wetting is very important in the first three weeks, soon after plantation, after which the wetting can be done only in dry periods. We recommend a selection of vegetation, mainly herbs, succulent plants, moss and small sized shrubs. The used plants in general should be local plants, adapted to survive in difficult conditions, avoiding invasive species. The objective of use of such plants is to provide the natural growth of vegetation, to avoid drying of plants and to obtain a maximum esthetic effect with minimal costs of acquirement and maintenance. Harmonious vegetal compositions can be created from point of view of colors and volumetric shapes. The herbaceous species should be selected according to their degree of resistance to dryness, frost and pollution; will take into account the morphological and biological features, also the requirements to the soil substrate. The woody plants should comprise small sized species: small shrubs or sub-shrubs, with a maximum height of m with crawling or erecting stalks, adapted to dryness and resistant to frost and pollution. The plants should have a high growth speed in order to cover as soon as possible the area. The maintenance is carried out by watering only in the dry periods we do not propose expensive piping systems for irrigation, since the plants are selected among the species resistant to sun and drought. Economic advantages the landscape arrangements with hilliness would be cheaper: - since waste is used instead of earth fillings or rocks; - since the improvement does not require bulldozers, diggings, excavations or earth mass manipulations for carrying out the unevenness; -since cheap resistant local plants are procured that do not need an expensive maintenance. ISBN:

4 3.2 Plastic waste recycling in the structure of some landscape fixture modules The second recycling solution proposes the inclusion of compressed plastic waste in the structures of some multifunctional furniture modules, useful for various landscape ambientations. The idea to create decorative walls of compressed waste is not new, as it was used in Vall den Joan in Spain [3]. However, this modular multifunctional design concept of the proposed objects in this paper is original (fig. 5). spots, other modules become esthetic support for the trash bins of metallic mesh and others only have a decorative role; these modules are partially or totally covered with vegetation; certain portions can be covered with finishes of natural materials, stylistically adapted to designed landscape compositions (fig. 7); Fig. 5 - Modular multifunctional design. Concept Doina The proposed modular range consists of: -bench type sitting places, with wood and vegetal portions, with included lighting spots; the dimensions of these benches - height 50 cm, width 50 cm and length 150 cm (fig. 6); Fig. 7 - Volumetric modular game. Concept Doina -decorative walls covered with vegetation and with insertions of lighting spots; these walls have a thickness of 50 cm and a variable height depending on the landscape style. Elaboration, structure and used materials (fig. 8): -the plastic waste should be compressed in the form of parallelipipedic elements with a base of 40 cm; -a resistant structure is created of 4 stanchions of stainless steel bars, welded at the corners of a concrete plate of 50x50 cm, thick of around cm depending on the height of modules; this plate should be fixed in soil having the role of a foundation; -on these stanchions, stainless steel meshes should be welded - with eyeholes of cm. Fig. 6 - Bench type sitting places. Concept Doina -volumetric game with modulated parallelipipedic forms modular basis of 50x50 cm - with heights varying from 50 cm to 2.0 m; some modules contribute to the night lighting by incorporated Fig. 8 - Module layers. Concept Doina Mira Dascălu; graphics Roxana Şoldan. ISBN:

5 -inside this carcass, the parallelipipedic element of compressed waste should be inserted; -the stainless steel mesh should be covered with a polyamide felt portion of about 3-5 mm (depending on the selected plants) that can retain water, being anti-corrosive and does not rot; -in this felt layer, as well as in the steel mesh, the plant roots should be fixed; -the materials for the finishing insertions should be treated to be humidity resistant; -the electrical installations will be protected in special piping masked by vegetation (fig.9). Fig.9 - Nocturne lighting. Concept Doina Mira Dascălu; graphics Roxana Şoldan. If in the previous proposal the vegetation plantation is done horizontally, here we will apply vertical planting techniques. The landscape biologist Patrick Blanc patented in 1994 the vertical gardens of large dimensions. His techniques are expensive but have spectacular effects. In this paper we propose inexpensive techniques. In order to cover the modules we can take as example the experience of the rehabilitation project of Vall den Joan Spain which demonstrated that in difficult natural conditions, the local plants resisted and developed grasped on metallic meshes, without irrigation, absorbing only natural meteoric waters. For covering the furniture modules, we recommend a selection of a small sized vegetation, formed by herbs, succulent plants and moss. The plants should be chosen from local, resistant species. As in the case of earth mounds, these species should be selected depending on their degree of resistance to dryness, frost and pollution; also biological, morphological features and requirements of soil the substratum should be investigated. The high speed growth of plants is also very important, in order to cover as soon as possible the surfaces of the modules. The invasive plants should be avoided and those not supporting competition. In this case also, the maintenance is carried out by classic wetting only in the drought periods as the vegetation should absorb the meteoric waters. In this way, the used material, the elaboration and maintenance of elements will have low costs, compared to the other urban furniture elements. 4 Conclusion These proposals of esthetic landscape recycling of plastic waste are multifunctional, ecological and profitable ways of increasing the life quality degree, minimizing the pollution. The advantages of the proposed solutions are multiple. -They contribute to the decrease of waste accumulations. -They can refresh the abandoned, monotonous areas, offering magnetism and attracting visitors. -Quick and inexpensive elaboration of landscape elements and spatial design arrangements. -Low cost used materials and element maintenance. -The vegetation covering the plastic structures offers sanogenous and esthetic ecological advantages, prevents toxic emissions, reduces the urban heating excess, reduces electromagnetic radiations. -These proposals prevent psychic pollution due to their esthetic harmony offered both by the vegetal compositions and the volumetric games of the modules. References: [1] X1. Dascălu Doina Mira, Landscaping recycle of waste plastic in natural sites, Bulletin of USAMV Cluj Napoca, Horticulture, vol. 68 (1), 2011, pp [2] X2. Dascălu Doina Mira, Peisagistica: o posibilă terapie pentru problemele mileniului al III-lea, Ed. SocietăŃii Academice "Matei - Teiu Botez", [3] X3. Krauel Jacobo, The art of landscape, Links-Barcelona, [4] X4. Rottle Nancy, Yocom Ken, Ecological design, Ava Publishing, ISBN: