Plastic materials for architecture

Plastic materials are widely used in the construction sector, their presence is often not recognizable but they make our buildings more efficient from an energy point of view
The use of plastic in building and construction makes it possible to save energy, reduce costs, improve the quality of life and simultaneously protect the environment.
Plastic allows you to obtain products that are easy to install and require little maintenance.
Therefore, the additional consumption of resources and energy necessary to ensure the continuity of their functionality over time is very limited.
Polymers present a series of properties which, exploited individually or combined with each other, contribute to significantly satisfying the increasingly growing needs of the construction sector.

Why plastic in construction?

• Plastics are the most energy efficient materials, considering the entire life cycle.
• Plastic applications are simple to install, take up little space, require little maintenance and maintain their performance for decades.
• The average lifespan of plastic applications in construction is 30 to 50 years: most plastic pipes installed more than 50 years ago still function perfectly today.
• Not only do plastics help protect the environment, they also provide highly skilled jobs and increase the competitiveness of the construction sector through cutting-edge green technologies.
• Construction is the second application sector for plastic materials in Europe, after packaging.
Plastic materials last a long time and do not give rise to corrosion. They are the ideal material for fixtures and pipes, which have a lifespan of over 50 years. Plastic materials effectively insulate from cold, heat and noise. They allow energy and economic savings and reduce noise pollution. Plastics are lightweight. They also contribute to economic savings thanks to reduced manpower. They are simple to handle, transport and store. Plastics can be recycled or used for energy recovery. Overall, the recovery of plastic waste in the construction sector shows a continuously improving positive trend. Plastics require low maintenance, are easy to clean and waterproof. They are the ideal covering for floors, both domestic and hospital, for which particular hygiene requirements are required. Overall, plastic components are often cheaper to produce than alternative materials. The ease with which plastic can be molded makes it possible to produce multiple components that can be assembled to form a single object, thus facilitating production and installation.
There are over 50 types of plastic materials with different characteristics to offer to construction.
For example:
• In the structure of a building, plastic materials are used for insulation, the construction of fixtures, electrical wiring, various pipes and waterproofing covers.
• In interiors, plastics are used for wall coverings, floors, curtains, laminated kitchens, bathroom furniture and furnishings.

Not only does plastic offer excellent practical solutions, but it also contributes significantly to improving the energy efficiency of buildings, which is necessary to tackle climate change and conserve resources. In fact, considering the entire life cycle of a product, plastic is one of the most energy efficient materials.