Let's P.tch in together by reducing plastic waste and rebuild South Africa one brick at a time.
#EcoBrickChallenge
What is an Eco Brick?
An eco brick is a plastic bottle stuffed tightly with clean and dry non-recyclable materials. People use these bricks as an insulative building brick in sustainable building projects. They are a powerful tool that can help us live in harmony with the environment.
In South Africa, there is a massive waste problem. Too much waste is ending up in landfills in our country. This form of dry household waste is also often not biodegradable. That means it won't decompose under the ground.
As a result, it is polluting our country, but we can change that one eco brick at a time. If you want to be part of the solution and help reduce plastic waste, you can build bottle bricks with us and make a difference.
How Are Eco Bricks Used?
They are filled with unrecyclable plastic such as sweet wrappers and food packaging, then used in community outreach programs and as creative building material. They may not be a long-term solution for a construction business building homes in a disadvantaged community, but we can use them for an eco-brick bench, flower beds, and other similar creative applications.
The silicone in the bottles may degrade in quality over time, and the bottles can lose their bright colours within a few years. Even so, the eco-brick initiative is reducing waste ending up in landfills. It is a creative and inspiring way to reduce the waste coming from your company or home.
How to create your own Eco-brick?
You can help save the environment from plastic and all its hazards by making your own bottle ecobrick at home and at the office! It's not hard, and seeing the end result is very rewarding! Here's how to make an eco brick:
What you will need
- Clean plastic bottles (1 & 2 litre bottle sizes are ideal).
- Stick or a wooden spoon, which is the width of a third of the bottle opening.
- Unwanted plastic.
How to do it
- Collect and clean unwanted plastic. A quick rinse in your dish water and air dry should do the trick. You can then cut it into strips or scrunch it up.
- Shove the plastic into the bottle using the stick and make sure it is packed to the brim. Each one should weigh at least 500g or half a kilogram.
- Keep going till the bottle is full to the brim, then cap it with bottle tops you have kept and weigh it. If it's not heavy enough yet, try to make more room for more plastic using the stick.
Eco Brick Pictures from South Africa
Curious about what you can do with an eco brick? Check out these amazing South African applications. Someone even built an eco brick house!
sources: ecobrick.org; ecobrickssa.wordpress.com; designindaba.com; cango.co.za; estate-living.co.za
Where to Drop Off Eco Bricks
P.tch Digital Agency is building with eco bricks to make a difference in South Africa. You're welcome to send your brick bottles to us at our drop-off point. Please call ahead of time to arrange a suitable date and time.
221 St Patrick RoadMuckleneuk
Pretoria
South Africa
Or, you can start your own community project with eco bricks and share the results with us! We'd love to feature your projects in our eco brick picture gallery.
Let's P.tch together by reducing plastic waste and we can rebuild South Africa one brick at a time.