Eco-bricks: Plastic Bottle Wall! Cheap Design Solution with Eco-friendly Recycled Materials
As the earth grows older, it must be properly cared for and preserved. In architecture, the way to protect the earth can be done by designing buildings that are environmentally friendly. This eco-friendliness can be obtained from both the design of the building and the use of materials used in the building. One of the recycled materials that can be used for buildings is eco-bricks.
This eco-friendly brick is different from red bricks or concrete bricks in general. The material used for this brick is plastic. As we know, plastic itself is a material that is difficult to decompose. The amount of plastic waste makes the environment unhealthy or various ecosystems disturbed. Both plastic waste on land and in the ocean.
Various kinds of waste such as plastic bottles, sachets / plastic packaging are made into one with the appropriate stages and processes so that they meet the quality to be used as design or building materials. The following are some of the steps to make eco-bricks.
How eco-bricks are made
1. Setting up plastic waste
Collecting a wide variety of plastic waste from soft like plastic bags to stiff and hard like food packaging is the first step to making eco-bricks. The collected waste must also be cleaned so that there are no more food scraps or organic waste left in it. Aside from the fact that these leftovers can decay, we want our eco-bricks to remain clean both in appearance and in use.
2. Sorting out the Use of Plastic
For the outside of the bricks, the use of plastic bottles is the main choice. The plastic bottle will be filled with various kinds of plastic waste that have been cleaned. For the base of the bottle, choose a smooth plastic such as a plastic bag. If you want this eco-brick to have color, use colored plastic bag waste to display the aesthetic side of this brick.
3. Cut Rigid Plastic into Smaller Shapes
Food plastics such as leftover lays, cheetos, and so on can be cut into smaller shapes that are customized to your liking. The shapes can be in the form of lines, squares, triangles, or certain desired patterns. These small pieces will certainly fill all sides of the plastic bottle more efficiently.
4. Use a stick to compact plastic
The plastic waste that is put into the bottle must of course be compacted to the inside. To insert the plastic and compact it, a stick with a stone attached to the end is needed so that the waste is pressed into it evenly. However, the filling at the top should not be too full so that the bottle cap is not quickly damaged by the pressure of the plastic waste.
5. Bottle Weighing
Each bottle that has been filled with plastic waste needs to be weighed to meet the weight requirement of 200 grams. This is done so that each bottle has the same weight and is sturdy when made into a single unit.
6. Arranging Bottles according to Pattern
Each bottle that already has a weight according to the requirements, then arranged into one with a certain module. The module commonly used is a hexagonal module with a triangular pattern at each bottle meeting. This is because the triangular pattern will be more sturdy to be used as a wall or object because the load will be channeled in all directions.
7. Eco-Brick Attachment
To attach these plastic bricks to each other, glass glue material with silicone is needed. The use of organic cement is an alternative so as not to pollute the environment. With the use of this cement, the sidelines of the eco-bricks can be covered so that they are not exposed to the weather and outside conditions. Meanwhile, the use of glue gives a clean look and exposes the eco-brick. Suitable for use in making furniture materials such as chairs and tables.
Eco-bricks are certainly one of the solutions for environmentally friendly housing. By using this material, plastic waste will be more easily reused. Recycling plastic into other forms will make the earth more preserved. Plus, the unique shape of eco-bricks invites people's curiosity to know more about the material.
Various shapes can also be made with this material. From indoor furniture to sculpture structures in the garden can also be decorated. You can also make your home more environmentally friendly and at a more affordable price. The use of eco-bricks is not only known in Indonesia but also around the world. So, do you want to try building with eco-bricks?
source: ecobricks.org | hrcindonesia
