Eco-friendly roofing sheets from recycled waste, economical and environmentally friendly

On average, the country discharges over 23,000 tons of waste every day, of which the collection rate is only 22% and is mainly treated by landfill, causing a lot of pressure in finding land area and environmental issues.

Industry and Trade - Therefore, recycling waste into useful items is the most positive solution that should be encouraged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Roofing sheets recycled from milk cartons are considered one of the environmentally friendly and feasible products in life.



The technology of producing roofing sheets from recycled waste was first introduced in Vietnam at the 2012 International Exhibition on Paper Technology and Chemicals (Paper Chem Tech Vietnam 2012).

Mr. Hoang Trung Son - representative of the unit producing roofing sheets from waste - said: Paper cartons are currently widely used in the liquid milk, soy milk, and fruit juice industries and can be 100% recycled.

This type of shell consists of 6 layers, most of which are paper and some are aluminum or plastic. To produce ecological roofing sheets, the components in the shell must be separated by transferring the collected shells to a specialized hydraulic machine to separate the paper from the aluminum and plastic.

The separated plastic and aluminum will be transferred via conveyor belt to the drying cage, chopped and put into the heat press line to produce ecological roofing sheets, then transferred to the corrugated press, cold press to shape the product. Finally, the cutting step is to the correct size and check the finished product before leaving the factory. If pressed into flat panels, they can be used as ceilings and soundproof walls.

Because it is thicker than other roofing products, this type of roofing sheet can withstand high humidity and heat environments, and has better heat and sound insulation than other types of roofing sheets. The remaining paper separated from the box will be recycled into long-fiber pulp, which is very suitable for making high-quality paper, especially high-grade surface paper for cartons.

During the launching ceremony of the “Green Product Consumption Campaign” in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-May, Nhi Xuan Primary School (Xuan Thoi Son Commune, Hoc Mon District) had 300 square meters of old corrugated iron roof replaced with an ecological roof made from 1.2 million milk cartons.

Milk cartons are considered a potential source of raw materials for the production of roofing sheets and recycled paper. If thrown away, it is a huge waste and costs money to process, not to mention the negative impact on the environment. Manufacturers aim to recycle at least 20 thousand tons of this type of waste each year.

Last year, it was estimated that 3,800 tons of milk cartons were recycled in Vietnam, while the amount of discarded milk cartons was many times higher. According to Mr. Son, the biggest difficulty for roofing sheet manufacturers from recycled waste is finding input materials, because people do not have the habit of collecting milk cartons and other types of beverage cartons. If people can get into the habit of sorting waste from the beginning, collection will be easier.

Therefore, it is necessary to encourage people to classify waste and collect milk cartons, through activities such as exchanging milk cartons for gifts, promotions, and awards for individuals and units that collect a lot of milk cartons. Agencies, departments, and sectors also need to provide necessary knowledge about the effects of using green materials on society, the environment, and health for the community.

According to Baocongthuong -PH