How the construction industry is becoming quieter thanks to a Hong Kong start-up’s use of recycled plastic

The goal of the smart materials and acoustics company Acoustic Metamaterials Group (AMG), situated in Hong Kong, is to increase the utilization of recycled plastic in the construction sector in order to assist in reducing noise pollution and the industry’s carbon footprint.

Chen Shuyu, the founder and director of the start-up, claims that their manufacturing technology can recycle plastic waste to create noise-control products that have an acoustic performance that is on par with or better than that of conventional materials like rockwool, fiberglass, and foam.
“Recycled plastic could replace nearly all types of materials used for acoustic purposes in buildings and in noise-cancelling barriers,” stated Chen. Chen is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on construction at the GreenTech Summit on Monday, which is a part of the government-organized Hong Kong Green Week.

By altering the structure of solid surfaces like plastic, metamaterials can achieve sound absorption comparable to or even greater than that of conventional acoustic materials without the need for additional components, according to AMG’s product catalogue.

Chen added that this lowers the overall manufacturing cost. The recycled plastic is gathered from factories in mainland China where AMG’s products are made.

AMG was established in 2014 in Hong Kong, and the company claims that its products are used commercially in a variety of industries, such as consumer electronics, automobiles, hi-fi and smart wearables, construction, electrical and mechanical systems, and home appliances.

The government’s Green Tech Fund awarded HK$3.4 million (US$435,000) to Chen’s research and development platform Lumi method in 2022 so that it could test its manufacturing method for further high-efficiency, noise-absorbing materials made from recycled plastic.

The Green Tech Fund was established in 2020 with HK$400 million from the Hong Kong government to fund research and development projects that advance the city’s decarbonization efforts and enhance environmental advantages.

AMG can produce 200,000 square meters of metamaterials annually, part of which are derived from recycled plastic.

Developers in Hong Kong have been using AMG’s road and noise barriers at development sites since 2020. Additionally, China, Japan, the EU, and the UK are recipients of AMG’s exports.

According to Chen, the company wants to use more recycled plastic in the production of noise-cancelling goods for use in road barriers and construction.

He declared, “We are the leaders in [promoting] this concept.”