Welsh company Protomax Plastics are turning mixed plastic trash such as drink bottles, plastic bags and old milk crates into lightweight armored panels with a little help from a machine called P2. The resulting Kevlar coated panels are bulletproof and fireproof and their light weight makes for quicker assembly of military shelters or emergency modular housing.

Their P2 powder impression molding (PIM) machine, processes and sterilizes local mixed trash – which can even include elements of metal and wood – and fuses it all together to form a cellular foam core. This is then wrapped in an outer skin of recycled plastic.

The panels have numerous applications for the military and automotive sector and could be used as a strong, lightweight alternative to timber in construction or furniture. The panels can be colored and Protomax even reckons you could craft kayaks and surf boards out of the material.

The plastic concoction is apparently recyclable and the manufacturing process involves the use of relatively low temperatures. The P2 machine itself is currently being patented and stands to not only unleash an incredibly useful material onto the world, but make a big dent in reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill.

Sources:
Protomax Plastics / Trading Edge and Reuters (Press Release) and Welsh Government Business News
Via: CNET Military Tech