There are places we avert our eyes from—construction debris piling up along the edges of our cities, the fetid swell of landfills threatening to consume the earth beneath them, the acrid breath of burning waste on the periphery of our daily lives. If Sebastiao Salgado had photographed the layers of waste born from the construction industry, he would have captured not just the decay of materials, but the neglect of a conscience.
At the heart of this wasteland lies one unsuspecting villain: shuttering plywood. Or as it’s commonly called, shuttering ply. Lightweight. Easy to source. Short-lived. And almost always discarded before its story is over.
The Hidden Cost of Shuttering Plywood
Every year, millions of square feet of centring plywood are dumped into landfills or burned, emitting toxic fumes into the air and further aggravating the climate crisis. Once used to hold the form of concrete for a mere 5 to 6 repetitions, the plywood deteriorates rapidly. It swells. It delaminates. It warps. It dies young.
Why is this accepted? Because it’s cheap.
But cheap for whom?
Not for the planet, not for the labourers who inhale the dust of its decomposition, not for the workers who struggle with brittle boards and splinters, not for the contractors who buy the same material again and again, believing it to be tradition. We don’t question it. Like cracked cement, we patch and pour over the problem.
The Search for a Better Way
Photographers like Salgado showed us the story of humanity against the backdrop of exploitation and loss. And in that spirit, the construction industry is being asked to look beyond cost to conscience.
It starts with the question: what if the boards we used could live longer? What if they were made not from trees, but from waste? What if they didn’t just serve their purpose, but served a larger one?
This is where plastic shuttering plywood emerges. Not a lesser substitute, but a reimagination of possibility. A product that isn’t just recycled, but circular.
The Rise of Recycled Plastic Boards
Enter WoWBoards.
Engineered from recycled plastic sheets and boards, WoWBoards are designed to replace traditional shuttering ply in every sense. Each board diverts plastic from burning heaps and gutters, from rivers and rag-picking dumps. Where one shuttering ply gives up after 5 repetitions, WoWBoards keep going—50, even 100 times.
Their core? Resilient. Their skin? Waterproof. Their finish? Smooth enough to eliminate the need for plaster in most cases. Made from plastic shuttering sheets that were once wrappers, bags, and post-consumer waste, they bear no stains of exploitation.
Plastic Shuttering Is Not the Enemy
Let us make a distinction. The problem with plastic isn’t the material—it’s our failure to design systems that give it a second life. Plastic shuttering ply is that second life. It transforms shame into structure, pollution into possibility.
With shuttering boards made from recycled plastic sheets, contractors now have an option that is:
- Durable: Engineered to withstand pressure and time.
- Reusable: 5 to 10 times more than conventional plywood.
- Waterproof: Zero swelling, even after prolonged exposure.
- Cost-effective: High upfront value that pays back over multiple uses.
Why Stick to Shuttering Plywood?
We must ask ourselves: if a material is damaging, short-lived, and contributes to deforestation and landfill overflow, why do we still use it?
Habit.
Inertia.
Misinformation.
The same forces that drive exploitation in any industry. But as Salgado has shown us through his lens, bearing witness is the first step to change.
A Site Story: Before and After
Walk onto a site using shuttering ply. You’ll see chipped boards, uneven concrete finish, and piles of discarded sheets lying like carcasses. Now walk onto a site using WoWBoards—with recycled plastic shuttering sheets stacked neatly, re-used systematically, and concrete that cures with pride.
The difference is not just in the material, but in the intent.
Making the Switch to Plastic Shuttering Sheets
When a builder chooses WoWBoards, they are not just choosing performance. They are choosing a story of regeneration. A choice that says: we no longer build with materials that destroy, but with those that heal.
Every recycled plastic board sold is a kilo less plastic in the ocean, a tree less felled, a step away from soot and towards sustainability.
The world doesn’t need more product. It needs better stories. The kind that Salgado would document in monochrome: a labourer proud of his work, a project manager relieved by savings, a slab gleaming under the sun, a landfill that didn’t fill today.
Conclusion: Build With Responsibility
The truth is dirty. But it need not stay that way.
Shuttering plywood may have served us once, but its time is up. In its place, let us build with recycled plastic sheets—with WoWBoards. Let us choose boards that last longer, perform better, and carry the weight not just of concrete, but of conscience.
To all those who build India every day, let us say: there’s a better way now.
Choose it.
Build responsibly. Build with WoWBoards.