Turning Plastic Waste into Climate Infrastructure

Melanie Galpin
Sep 22
2 min read

Plastic waste is everywhere. From oceans to riverbeds, from farmland to urban streets — humanity’s reliance on plastic has left a lasting scar on ecosystems worldwide. Global plastic production has surged from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to nearly 400 million tonnes in 2024, and it is expected to triple by 2060. Yet only around 9–10% is ever recycled.

The challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity: what if plastic waste could become part of the solution, not just the problem?

That’s the principle behind WaterRoofs.

💡 From Bottle to Roof

Instead of allowing PET bottles to pollute landfills and oceans, WaterRoofs gives them a second life. Our tiles are made from 100% recycled PET, a material that is:

Durable – strong enough for rooftops, UV-resistant, and long-lasting.
Lightweight – easy to transport, install, and retrofit onto existing buildings.
Circular – PET can be regenerated up to 40 times without losing strength.

Each WaterRoofs tile embodies the principle of the circular economy: turning waste into infrastructure that actively protects the climate.

🏙️ More Than Material: A Climate System

But WaterRoofs is not just about recycled materials — it’s about performance:

Micro-channel technology stores rainwater in fine grooves.
Water evaporates gradually, cooling rooftops and surrounding air.
Each square meter can return up to 750 liters of water annually to the atmosphere.

So every tile doesn’t just recycle waste — it also restores nature’s cooling process in cities.

🌍 Global Relevance

The UN Plastics Treaty (under negotiation) seeks to regulate plastics across their entire lifecycle. WaterRoofs demonstrates what that future looks like:

Waste materials reimagined as urban climate tools.
Architecture that reduces plastic waste while fighting heatwaves.
Scalable design that can be replicated across global markets.

By aligning with policies like the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, WaterRoofs proves that recycling isn’t just about bottles — it’s about building climate-positive cities.