NEW YORK — A New York startup has developed an innovative way to recycle waste plastic, converting it into an alternative building material that can be used to build affordable housing. <br /> <br />The company, called ByFusion, has designed a machine that is highly compact and modular. It can be powered by propane gas or electricity and can process all types of plastic waste, according to the ByFusion website. <br /> <br />The plastic waste does not have to be pre-processed. Instead, it is shredded inside the machine before it’s made into a new material called RePlast and compressed into bricks. The RePlast bricks are not as strong as concrete, so are reinforced with steel rods, wire and layers of mortar. <br /> <br />The company said RePlast has been used in projects including retaining walls in New Zealand and California, which have withstood environmental tests such as earthquakes. <br /> <br />ByFusion has so far raised around $30,000 of a $250,000 target on Indiegogo. On its campaign page, it says the machine will likely be available in the U.S. by May next year.
