Eco bricks are a fantastic solution the endemic issue of plastic waste. It is well known that not all types of plastic can be recycled, which presents the conscientious environmentalist with a conundrum: what to do with the multitude of plastic waste generated by a modern lifestyle. Thankfully, this is where eco bricks come in. 

An eco brick is essentially a plastic bottle filled with squashed non-recyclable plastics to form a firm surface area. These are then used to create building constructions in a similar fashion to the ordinary house brick.

Crushing plastic together inside a bottle reduces a large surface area down to a smaller bundle, making it far harder to further crush with pressure. A similar effect would be squeezing a kitchen sponge to the point it can’t be squeezed any further; at this point, the sponge is an exceptionally strong material, as it is very difficult to affect it with any force from any side of the shape.

By filling a plastic bottle with condensed plastic packaging a remarkably strong structure is made, which is an ideal characteristic on any building block. 

Are Eco Bricks Good?

The value of eco-bricks to the environment depends on the angle with which you look at the problem and solution. Reusing plastics already in use is an excellent method of sequestrating (preventing already manufactured plastics from entering the ecosystem) waste that could otherwise end up in landfill sites, or worse in the oceans.

However, some suggest that it is not the perfect solution, as it doesn’t prevent plastic items and packaging from being produced and bought in the first place. For an environmental purist, the ultimate goal is the complete eradication of non-recyclable plastics from the economy. That said, anything that constitutes an improvement can only be a good thing.

As a sign of how bad things have become with plastic waste, between 1950 and 2017 approximately 8,300 million metric tonnes of plastic have been produced, of which 9% have been recycled. National initiatives to reduce production using non-recyclable plastics are hampered by some parts of the world continuing to increase production, particularly in large export markets. With this in mind, the eco brick is a great solution to remove plastics otherwise destined for harmful outcomes and make use of them in constructive ways. 

The practice of making eco bricks originated in South America, where inspired individuals sought to replicate the German architect Andreas Froese, who had popularised making bricks out of bottles filled with sand.

In terms of building quality, the immense strength of eco-bricks allows them to be used in construction projects that require a lot of weight to be spread onto supporting structures. In this respect, they are truly impressive. One advantage over traditional bricks is that eco-bricks have natural flexibility to them, which is ideal I situations where a building might need to flex (high winds, small earthquakes).

Not only that, naturally due to the material they are made out of, they have excellent waterproofing and thermal retention qualities. It must be said, however, that larger building poses a challenge, as it is difficult to find an effective binding substance; traditional mortar is liable to crack due to the inbuilt flexibility of eco-bricks for example. 

How Much Do Eco Bricks Weigh?

The weight of an eco brick is a fundamental area that needs to be understood; get it wrong, and charities will have to reject your donation.

The reason for this is that an eco brick needs to be able to withstand the pressures endured when placed in a larger structure. As mentioned earlier, one of the key qualities of an eco brick is its strength, and this comes from the density of the material within. As a result, too little plastic will not produce a robust enough eco-brick and would be unsuitable for use. 

As a rule of thumb, an eco brick must weight at least 30% of the bottle volume expressed as a mass. For example, a 500ml bottle should weigh at least 165g, a 1L bottle must weigh at least 330g, and a 1.5L bottle must weigh at least 495g, etc.

This may seem daunting at first when you see what the respective weights of un-squashed plastic look like. Squashing it down to fit in a bottle may appear to be akin to a magic trick, however, it is certainly possible; in its traditional packaging form, it is surprisingly easy to squash down most non-recyclable plastics to fit. 

Where To Send Eco Bricks

There are a number of places you can send an eco brick to, so long as they meet the weight criteria as already discussed. A good place to start is ecobricks.org/exchange. The website acts as a directory of companies accepting eco-bricks for building projects, as well as for people wishing to share their own eco-bricks.

It also provides a list of locations where you can drop off your eco-bricks if you don’t want to send them by post. Another good place to look is ecobrickexchange.org, where you can find projects to support. 

If you want to get involved further, check out social media to find pages dedicated to sharing eco-bricks. A brief search will point you in the direction of multiple groups and pages set up to facilitate the sharing of eco-bricks between communities and individuals.

What Can You Make With Eco Bricks

If you don’t want to send your eco-bricks to an organisation or community project, why not use them in a DIY project?

Ideal uses include raised flower beds, work-benches, garden benches, storage chests, office desks, footstools, artwork sculptures… the possibilities are almost endless and are mostly limited by your imagination. So long as the structure or item you are intending to make is the right size for the number of bottles you have available, you can probably make it. 

As part of larger projects, believe it or not, whole houses can be built out of eco-bricks. One particularly interesting use involved combining eco-bricking with older traditional building methods, such as combining them with wattle-and-daub structures to make a very long-lasting structure. The best, strongest structures tend to involve walls built using supporting vertical posts (a bit like a fence in terms of construction), or circular walls, as these provide the best geometric shapes for the materials. 

Eco bricks are very useful as part of community build projects. Woodland play areas, raised seating areas, bookshelves, and even outdoor climbing walls are excellent projects to get children involved and interested in protecting the environment.

The most rewarding uses are arguably projects in the developing world that use eco-bricks to enhance local community buildings, to build shelters in areas of low affluence, and for teaching local children and adults construction techniques.