WES-Tec Global, a construction technology firm, has created building blocks that tackle both plastic pollution and climate-driven infrastructure risks.

According to its developers, the ECOCCUBE system transforms waste plastic into durable building blocks for use in vulnerable environments, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete.

The team envisions that the blocks will offer a solution that targets coastal erosion, flooding and structural instability while simultaneously addressing plastic waste.

The core material that makes up the ECOCCUBE system is 100% recycled waste plastic. The company uses a proprietary process dubbed Newcycling to create the plastic-waste derived building blocks.

Newcycling, which is performed in a dedicated New-Cycle Factory where the discarded plastic is turned into construction-grade blocks, reportedly preserves the physical properties of plastic while also enabling new structural uses. Further, the Newcycling process accepts mixed plastic waste — unlike traditional recycling systems — and sorting and washing are not required.

Capable of achieving a compressive strength of 26.4 MPa and a tensile strength of 16.7 MPa, the blocks are designed for demanding environments, such as coastlines, rivers and sloped terrain, supporting shoreline reinforcement and flood-resilient infrastructure and protecting against erosion, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Additionally, each kilogram of ECOCCUBE reduces carbon emissions by 2.99 kg CO₂, or about 6.6 lbs of CO₂, according to lifecycle assessment data.

Specifically, one 25 kg unit — about 55 lbs — results in a 74.69 kg CO₂-equivalent reduction, which is equal to roughly 165 lbs of CO₂.