The ecobrick –
a novel and versatile way of using waste plastics
by Richard Pearce, URC Mersey Green Apostle
Ecobrick The problem of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways and the consequential damage caused to marine life have been well publicised. Here’s one solution to making use of the plastics which we cannot recycle sustainably – the ‘ecobrick’.
It’s a plastic bottle, packed solid with clean and dry used plastic and made to a set density to create reusable building blocks. They are very durable and ecobrick blocks can be used in a wide range of applications including in furniture, buildings, gardens and playgrounds.
One of the beauties of the ecobrick is that it can be made very simply by hand without the need for machines or special skills – so it can benefit communities all over the world with little investment and you can make them at home!
As of July 2020, a total of nearly 73,000 ecobricks have been produced by over 42,000 users in 149 countries. This has resulted in 25,435kg of plastics being kept out of the Earth’s biosphere.
For more information, including how to make ecobricks and examples of uses, visit: https://www.ecobricks.org/ or just Google ecobrick.