Colombian company Conceptos Plasticos saw two pressing issues in the world and decided to confront both with recycled building materials according to Inhabitat.
One major issue is the housing crisis, which is widespread in Latin America where 80% of the population resides in urban areas. The second is the overwhelming amount of plastic materials crowding landfills. To solve these issues, the Columbian company recycles plastic into LEGO-like building blocks that families can use to easily construct affordable homes.
Conceptos Plasticos works with local communities to source plastic and rubber and then train locals on the building process. With these plastic building blocks, locals can build their own houses, emergency shelters, classrooms or community halls. A house for one family will take five days to raise using the recycled blocks and four workers. Another good thing about this is, no construction experience is needed. The plastic blocks fit together like LEGO’s!
Not only are these blocks easy to work with, they will also resist natural disasters. Conceptos Plasticos introduced an additive that makes the product fire-resistant and since the blocks are made of plastic, they are also earthquake-resistant. The company reported that their construction system is 30% cheaper as compared to traditionally utilised systems in rural areas. A standard house can be built for just $5,200. The plastic building blocks can outlive its inhabitants and will degrade after around 500 years or more, but for now, they offer shelters for families who can’t afford other types of housing or anyone fleeing crises.
Click here to read the full story on Inhabitat
Featured Image Credit: Bill Ward