Abstract- Electronic waste (E-waste) is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world due to rapid technological advancement, short lifespan of electronic devices, and increasing consumer demand. The disposal of e-waste has become a critical environmental issue because it contains toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, brominated flame retardants, and other hazardous compounds that pose severe threats to human health and the ecosystem. The construction industry consumes huge quantities of natural resources such as river sand and coarse aggregates, leading to depletion of natural deposits and ecological imbalance. Hence, incorporating non-metallic fractions of e-waste such as plastics, printed circuit boards, and electronic casings in concrete as partial replacement of aggregates provides a sustainable approach for e-waste management while reducing the consumption of natural resources. This review paper presents a comprehensive discussion on the utilization of non-metallic e-waste in concrete, focusing on its influence on fresh properties, mechanical strength, durability characteristics, microstructural behavior, thermal performance, and environmental sustainability. Previous research indicates that e-waste aggregates generally reduce density and improve workability, but compressive strength tends to decrease at higher replacement levels due to poor bonding and lower stiffness of plastic materials. However, some studies show improved tensile and flexural strength due to fiber reinforcement effect and better energy absorption behavior. The review also highlights the optimum replacement percentage ranges and identifies key research gaps such as lack of long-term durability studies, limited microstructural investigations, absence of large-scale structural element testing, and insufficient standardization in processing and characterization of e-waste aggregates. The findings of this review indicate that non-metallic e-waste has strong potential for producing sustainable lightweight concrete, but further experimental validation, standard mix design guidelines, and durability-based investigations are necessary before its widespread structural application.
Kawale et al. (Mon,) studied this question.