Recycling of plastic waste into tiles with reduced flammability and improved tensile strength

•Lightweight tiles were inventively fabricated by simple and novel process.•Utilization of waste plastic bags as matrix reinforced with fly ash as filler.•The obtained tiles demonstrates good thermal stability and tensile strength of 9.68 MPa.•Composites tiles possess linear burning rate of 4.36 mm/min.•Resistance to acids and bases with negligible water absorption.