Image credits: leadingarchitecture
Throughout my travels for the past years, I have never gone to a place in my country, the Philippines which don't use plastics in their daily lives. More often, I have seen mountains of these non-biodegradable materials being left to decay, or so I thought.
Plastics obviously live even after making use of it for a while. The problem with plastic is that the human race had been very accustomed to using it, it became part of our lives and now we are trapped to its usage and it seems there's no way out. While we can do the least of things like having a day where plastics are banned from being used or perhaps embracing the life without plastics or even so joining groups who are fighting against it.
However, the works such a small portion of the population in a community or a county can only do little for truly saving nature. We need a collaborative work, we need each other to do our corresponding job to minimize the use of plastic and perhaps lessening the plastic issue, at least.
In this blog, I would like to talk about Ecobricks, one of the solutions to plastic together with the reasons why each one of us has to start embracing it.
What are Ecobricks?
Image credits: wheninmanila
According to their site, ecobricks.org,
"An Ecobrick is a plastic bottle packed to a set density with used, clean and dry plastic to achieve a building block that can be used over and over again."
Video credits: Ecobrick via Youtube
If you had watched the video above, it summarizes how plastics had been polluting the Earth. It is true that plastics had been very useful to us, humans. It made our lifestyle easy and convenient, however, because plastics do not decompose or biodegrade, they stay on the Earth's surface for hundreds or thousands of years.
Each plastic burnt, thrown or dumped causes several negative impacts on nature and even to us, humans as it is the main contributor to pollution, diseases over trash and rubbish as well as animal and plants problems being one of the reasons of our health issues in this generation. There are research studies that show plastics being present in our water, in our food and which reaches us and thus causing hormonal imbalance, infections, and worse cancers.
How to Make Ecobricks?
Image credits: globalgiving
True enough, plastics are useful for our lives' convenience but because it was conceptualized with the absence of how to ending its life, it had now become the top problem.
Ecobricks is a simple solution that requires more and more hands in order for it to have a relevant impact on our environment. It needs you and me to do our own part.
It doesn't take a lot of brains to create ecobricks, but it has specific guidelines just to ensure that the ecobrick is within standard making sure that it will last long which can be reused again and again. Here below are the steps in creating one.
Step 1. Prepare the Ecobrickale Plastics
Image credits: angkaladkarin
While there are so many plastic types, for making ecobricks, the common and most advisable types are styrofoam, plastic bags, plastic packaging, straws, and cellophane.
Part of the preparation is to clean them. It is important that these plastic items are clean and dry because dirt in these plastics will cause contamination inside the brick and will eventually cause bloating and popping off the bottle.
Step 2. Get Your Bottle
Image credits: preview.ph
Obviously, ecobricks are created with the use of bottles. But it requires that the bottles should be of the same size, same brand and of which is very available in the community.
As you can see, creating ecobricks requires more than one people for it to become successful or at least to make certain green furniture. But it is also possible for one to make it on their own, it would just take time.
So, always consider what are the most common or highly available types of bottles within the community. Uniformity of the size and type is very essential.
Step 3. Pick a Stick
Image credits: anakbali
Ecobrick is a bottle packed and filled with dense plastics with the use of a packing stick. Usually and what's being recommended is to use bamboo sticks.
But any stick is actually okay as long as it is not pointed which might cause any scratch or worse erupt he bottle.
Step 4. Push and Pack Plastics
Image credits: deskgram
With plastics, bottles and a stick, one is ready to start pushing on the plastics into the bottle. There's a certain technique in doing this. It is a good habit to use light colored ones in the bottom because they are usually what's going to show when using the ecobricks.
Big pieces of plastics can be cut into smaller ones to make it easier to push them into the bottle. Making sure that the plastics are not pushing through the lid or overflowing otherwise, it may cause the bottle damage.
Video credits: Ecrobricks via YouTube
That's the most basic way of making an ecobrick.
Why We Should Start Embracing Ecobricks?
1. Because Everyone Can Make It
Image credits: radarkudus.jawapos
There are no special talents or capabilities in creating an ecobrick. It can be made by everyone too who has hands and a heart that feels for the environment.
More importantly, it doesn't require any types of machinery or special materials to create it.
2. Because We Can Contribute to Lessening Plastic Waste
Because of too many plastics around the world, it is important to make use of them to help nature and be a contributor of good cause.
With creating ecobricks comes also the heart to be a part of the bigger picture. It encourages each ecobrick maker to have the compassion for nature.
3. Because We Can Certainly Create Green Materials Out of It
image credits: angama
More importantly, the green materials which can be created out of these plastics are useful to several institutions and even to communities like schools, local government units and a lot more.
Ecobricks can be turned into garden raised beds, chairs, tables, walls, and even a whole new house! Isn't it amazing?
It doesn't take a lot of time to start becoming an ecobrick maker. It just needs preparation and dedication. I personally will start making my own ecobrick soon. I have decided to be a part of this cause and be use my hands for the benefit of the Earth and the living creatures below and above it.
Image credits: hiveminer
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Thanks for reading!
About the author:
Jean Beltran-Figues is a photography enthusiast.
A traveler who wants to promote her beloved country, the Philippines.
