It’s not a rare sight to spot old plastic bottles along the road. That’s unfortunately true for the whole planet. But now, in rural Nigeria – which is one of the most populated countries in Africa – villages are using old, discarded plastic bottles to build houses and it’s a success.
In fact, there are enough old plastic bottles in the country to create a new business for sustainable construction. The bottles are filled with sand and piled on top of each other in a lattice pattern, to create walls.
The homes are sold for lower prices which helps the villagers in rural areas. Also, the houses built with this method are strong and durable. So much so that they could withstand earthquakes and even bullets.
This method is called bottle-brick technology. Good News Network writes that the walls built with this technology are 18 times stronger than regular bricks.
Jobless or out-of-school youths are employed by the project to fill the bottles with sand before the bottles are placed in a glue that is made the traditional way using mud. Last step is to secure the outside with a net.
14 000 plastic bottles will go into building a house. The houses look striking and can cost a third less than traditional housing in the area with the raw materials being almost free.
The staff at Development Association for Renewable Energies are hoping to pitch this project to the Nigerian government to secure some extra funding and expand their enterprise.
Projects like this one benefit both the planet and the people, making the future come sooner
Picture: YouTube/Al Jazeera via Good News Network
