Concrete is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter but even less known is how much sand is required to make it. Sand mining is responsible for ecosystem collapse through erosion, water outflows, and biodiversity loss. The shortage of sand has prompted researchers to replace it with more sustainable aggregates, but the previously unsolvable issue is that any additive that is not a cementitious material creates weak points, and results in concrete that fails compressive strength testing.

MAA’VA’s scientific breakthrough is how to incorporate plastic waste into concrete without compromising strength, all while reducing the water usage for concrete production by up to 90%. Their novel building material cures faster, is cheaper to make, is 30% lighter than traditional concrete, is as strong (or even stronger) than normal concrete, and provides a path to store plastic waste into our built environment.