Potential application of E-wastes in construction industry: A review

Abstract The application of wastes and their recycled extractions to develop green construction materials attracts researchers worldwide owing to the high pessimistic environmental impact of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) industry. The current review manuscript represents an endeavour to reassess applications of abandoned electrical and electronic wastes, i.e. E-wastes, as supplementary material to develop a variety of green concretes for construction and infrastructure industries. The principal objective of this piece of review writing includes an existing and state of the art knowledge of these modern, complex, valuable but hazardous elements enclosing wastes by employing them as substitution of natural fine or coarse aggregates in concrete manufacturing. This is a new-fangled, an innovative and revolutionary concept in the direction of development of sustainable and cost-effective green concretes. Not only that, physical, chemical and metallurgical recycling processes of E-wastes, their advantages and disadvantages with thermal, strength, and durability parameters of E-wastes incorporated green concrete, as well as impacts of hazardous substances, have also been assessed. This paper also flashes a light not merely on an application of E-wastes glass of cathode ray tubes with cement paste, mortar and concrete but also an appraisal of the utilization of E-wastes materials in a bituminous mix. Also, the use of non-biodegradable recovered E-wastes plastics is reviewed as partial substitution of natural coarse or fine ingredients through this “Urban Mining” approach. This review will lend a hand to promote sustainable and affordable development of green concrete incorporating E-wastes in the construction industry and help to resolve the impasses of degradation of natural restricted aggregate resources as well as contaminations of environment, soil, and groundwater due to landfilling and of course, to safeguard the health of lives on the globe.