This Colombian invention is not something new, but it is a novel initiative as a solidarity project. Your raw material, bricks manufactured From recycled plastic, houses for millions of homeless could create.
They are not as economical as those made by 3D printers, as we saw in a previous post, but their price is affordable in terms comparative. That is, compared to the usual price of a house. And the results have a fantastic appearance, it is durable and allows constructions to be conventional.
Mutatis mutandis, are built as if it were a lay -like game, without even the need for cement, but the thing is much more serious. Not surprisingly, we are talking about creating dignified dwellings that solve one of the most important problems that people have. Fundamentally, for their prices prohibitiveimpossible to assume for the most humble groups of the population world.
Low cost plastic bricks
Plastic concepts is the father of the creature, some bricks of plastic recycling that are carried out after spraying and compacting it to adopt the way it can be seen in the images. They are then assembled forming the different parts of the house.
It is the solution to a growing problem, up to 40 percent of the population of areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America has no home. The cost of dwelling It is calculated by processed plastic kilo and not per square meter. One of 40 square meters would cost about 4,500 euros.
Usually, an average house needs around 1,300 bricks, all of them entirely plastic. As explained by its creators, Cristina Gámez, Óscar Méndez and Fernando Llanos, the plastic must cross a transformation process that includes its grinding, the agglutination, cast iron and extrusion, in this order.
Although its placement is simple, elements are required Intermediates Let them do the beam function, as well as different auctions for the manufacture of the windows. Therefore, many expenses are avoided, since only recycled plastic is used, lowering the final price.
While the manufacture itself of the bricks It is complex and expensive. The final balance, however, is really worthwhile at an economic and environmental level. Above all, in countries like Colombia, where these types of solutions are needed with true urgency to help people who lack housing.
Specifically, they are making houses for solidarity organizations (NGOs or foundations) or homes on the commission of people who want to donate them. Likewise, helping in plastic collection is also another way to help build houses, without the need to provide money.
Among other advantages, they are homes very Durablewith an estimated life of around 400 years, which are asylum abroad at thermal and acoustic level, in addition to being resistant to earthquakes of up to 9.5 degrees, to the damage that rodents, water and fire can do, explains Méndez.
Its price is around 4,500 euros and its construction is feasible in less than a week for 4 people, without having specialized knowledge. Another reason why the final cost is more affordable.
He project He has just received an award that is much more than recognition, since The Venture de Chivas contest has considered that it is one of the best business ideas, capable of making a great change in the world, supporting it with 1,000 million dollars.
In the future, they will be to apply the model in other countries. For now, the objective is to focus on your country, where about 1,500 square meters have already been built, although construction companies interested in applying the project in other countries have already emerged.
Now, with the injection of money that the award supposes they can accelerate the work. A feasible objective, as long as they have the necessary support of the plastic and citizenship industries, since it requires a constant collection of material. In this sense, people are also being encouraged through different collection points distributed by Bogotá.
Ecoinclusion: Pet and cement bricks
As we indicated at the beginning of the post, there are other similar initiatives. Among them, the one carried out by the Foundation Ecoinclusion for use in Argentina. Despite their differences, they also have much in common.
Specifically, in the Alta Gracia municipality to fix damage in precarious houses or make remodeling that help its inhabitants improve their quality of life. Therefore, it also seeks to benefit families who cannot deal with the expenses that would mean by other ways.
In this case, in addition, ecological work is carried out. Since PET waste is used for their manufacturing returnable collected through containers specially designed for this purpose.
Conclusions
As explained from the foundation, for the manufacture of a brick, 10 two -liter plastic bottles are needed, which after crushing is mixed with cement, and its cost is somewhat higher than that of the conventional brick.
However, the environmental benefit is valued, since we avoid damage to the environment (the PET takes about 500 years to decompose) while saving in raw materials that are pollutants. Finally, the project also received an award. The granting of the award for the best sustainable Latin American project of the Universities Network illuminated its double solidarity side, both with people in need and with the environment.
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