INTENTION: To minimize the amount of plastic and recyclables going into landfills and oceans by reutilizing plastics in a usable, durable, and cheap building material.
PROBLEM: More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year, and 91% of plastic is not recycled. This leads to serious consequences in aquatic ecosystems, contributes to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, pollutes our oceans, causes adverse human health impacts (microplastics, incineration), etc.
SOLUTION: Eco-bricks revitalize used plastic by densely compressing non-recyclables into plastic bottles until they are heavy and durable enough to last virtually forever in building structures. Eco-bricks capitalize on the STRENGTHS and BENEFITS of plastic as a material, not just acknowledging the negatives it has on our planet. Yes, plastic is something that since its invention has caused serious environmental consequences, but it is not going anywhere soon; until plastic is universally banned and abolished from the planet, eco-bricks offer a solution.
GOALS OF PROJECT AND IMPLEMENTATION:
Anybody can make eco-bricks with their plastic waste from home or from their school community, but putting them to use in an effective and beneficial way requires a group effort.
One group can come together and start making eco-bricks to collect and make a building project
Or one school…
Or one town…
Or one community
Or, one state!
Utilizing the expansive network of the New Jersey Student Sustainability Coalition, the goal of this project is to create a statewide collaborative effort to implement the creation and use of eco-bricks in NJ!
Young kids can have a lot of fun making them and high school students could use this as a volunteer opportunity to connect with younger kids and teach them about eco-bricks. This is a great project for communities to get involved with and a learning opportunity!
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