Diverted from landfill: Manufacture and characterisation of composites from waste plastic packaging and waste glass fibres

This work explores the use of low-value packaging film-based waste mixed plastics (wMP) and waste glass fibres (wGF) to produce value-added composites. The study involves producing thermoplastic prepregs with wMP and wGF, manufacturing laminates via compression moulding, optimising wGF content, analysing the interface and assessing the performance of the laminates through mechanical testing. The results indicate that adding 18–26 vol% wGF to unreinforced wMP leads to significant improvements in tensile strength (over 300%), tensile modulus (500%), flexural modulus (over 700%), compressive strength (~350%), and compressive modulus (~700%) compared to unreinforced wMP. The significance of having 2D dispersion of short fibres with partial orientation compared to the more conventionally used 3D dispersion of short fibres is discussed. The research provides valuable scientific insights into the application of mixed waste materials in composites, aiding the creation of a more circular economy for plastic waste and leading to new composite products.