Have you heard of ecobricking? Among the innovative solutions we have for plastic waste, this one’s geared specifically toward our daily and personal lives. Ecobricking takes the plastic we use on a daily basis and removes it from the typical industrial waste track. We’ve talked about how plastic not only hurts the environment and often ends up in the ocean, but how the production of plastic, the use of fossil fuels, contributes to the build up of greenhouse gasses, ultimately causing global warming and climate change. While supporting corporate and industrial, big picture solutions is the biggest way for us to see large and essential changes, personal changes in our everyday practices can make an impact as we work to change the larger system. Ecobricking is one of those lifestyle changes.
So, what is ecobricking? Ecobricking is the process of using a PET or Polyethylene Terephthalate bottle to create a reusable building block. These bricks accomplish what is called plastic sequestration which isolates these plastics from the environment in such a way as to prevent degradation and the development of microplastics. These plastics will not be melted down, releasing greenhouse gasses into the air. They will not fill a landfill, leaching toxins into our groundwater. They won’t end up in the sea. Instead, these plastics will be turned into building blocks used to create anything from firepit seating to entire affordable homes.
How do you create an ecobrick? Well, first you save your plastics. Rise them like you would for regular recycling but set them aside. Then, take a clean see-through bottle and prepare to pack. You will need small, packable or shreddable plastics. Stuff that will fit in a plastic bottle, obviously. You will also need a blunt stick to pack that plastic in as tightly as possible. You’ll want to alternate between softer plastics and harder ones, shooting for a min weight of 0.33g/ml. Remember that the color you start with will be the color of the brick so you might want to keep that consistent depending on the project you plan to use your bricks for. If you are ecobricking for your community or school, they might already have a color or group of colors in mind so make sure you check before you begin packing. We’ll include a link with more details about the process below this article.
Once you’ve created a collection of bricks, you can use them to create whatever you want. They can be made to be incorporated into permanent structures, as with a building or larger outdoor structure. Or they can be made to be a little more flexible with the option to break them down and build them back up in new ways, as with lego style furniture. Really, the sky's the limit. Ecobricking is a great way to be aware of the amount of plastic waste your household creates and many organically begin to reduce their plastic use as they see how much plastic waste they create. Ecobricking is just one way we can reuse, recycle, and reduce all in one lifestyle change. For those who don’t feel like they can make a difference, it’s a calculable and quantifiable change!
Resources:
Plastic Sequestration | Ecobricks.org
Bottle Bricks | Engineering For Change