How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles

By Dr. Kyle Muller

Ecological bricks are very important for ecological architecture. There are ecological bricks made of very diverse materials and their benefits can also be different, but they all have in common some advantages at the environmental and sustainability level. A type of material recently used to make ecological bricks are plastic bottles.

Although some companies already sell them in more elaborate formats, having prosecuted the plastic to turn it into brick or billet, they can also be made homemade, reusing a large amount of plastic.

In this ecology article, we explain you How to make ecological bricks of plastic bottles and what advantages they contribute.

What are ecological bricks or echoladrillos

Usually, bricks are a polluting material since, among other things, they require a lot of energy in their manufacture, so their environmental impact is important. This does not happen in those ecological bricks also called Ecoadrillos. However, its use today is very rare, although historically more sustainable materials have been used in construction.

There are more and more ecological initiatives that intend reinvent or replace traditional bricks using sustainable materials or promoting greater sustainability that helps us save energy or even reduce carbon footprint. Among these initiatives are Bricks manufacturing with plastic bottles.

Therefore, ecological bricks are those bricks manufactured from materials or by manufacturing processes that do not imply an environmental impact as important as that of conventional bricks. Within the Ecological bricksthere are some more ecological than others according to their sustainability in various aspects. These bricks can offer us the same or greater resistance than conventional and even offer the same advantages in comfort and safety.

Discover much more about bricks of this type and others that are also an eco-fiendly with this other ecology article called ecological bricks: what are, types and advantages.

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles - What are ecological bricks or echoladrillos

Image: architectureyempresa.es

Advantages of ecological bricks against traditional

Since there are multiple materials that are used in the manufacture of ecological bricks, the advantages also vary from one to another. Therefore, we must choose one that adapts to our needs and preferences. However, we can point out some Advantages of ecological bricks against traditional. First we mention the benefits of various types of Eco-Firendly or Ecoladrillos touches And not only of the plastics, then we specify those of the latter.

Advantages of ecological bricks

  • Savings, both when acquiring or manufacturing them by hand and for the savings of energy they generate
  • In some cases, more insulation capacity of humidity, noise, heat or cold.
  • Lower environmental impact and greater preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity that encourages the manufacture of many of them.
  • They are lighter and, in this way, reduce the construction times and the effort of the workers.

Advantages of ecological plastic bricks

Specifically, the brick made of plastic bottles has some advantages compared to conventional cooked mud brick, such as:

  • They provide thermal insulation up to five times higher than conventional bricks.
  • Its greatest thermal insulation allows the construction of lower thick walls. Thus, instead of building walls up to 30 cm you can build 15 cm.
  • They are lighter than traditional bricks, weighing up to one kilo less.
  • They have good fire resistance. His results in flame propagation trials group him in the Re 2 class, which is a very low propagation material.
  • It is ecological, since its raw material is recycled plastic waste.
  • In its manufacture no fertile soil is used, so it does not contribute to soil desertification.
  • This type of brick can be molded with a manual machine and does not require cooking in large furnaces, so it does not contribute to air pollution or the felling of trees to obtain the necessary firewood.

As you can see, they are a great option if you are thinking of building your own home or some building in the area where you live for the community. Here you can learn more about houses with recycled plastic bricks.

Ecoinclusion, the driving company of plastic echoladrillos

The Cordoba Foundation (Córdoba, Argentina), Ecoinclusion, has developed an idea for the Manufacture of ecological bricks from the recycling of plastic bottles. Ecoinclusion is a non -profit organization created in 2014 by three friends, which combined their concerns for help to social inclusion and local ecology. This project already has the support of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) of Argentina.

In its manufacture the PoETYLEN-TEREFTALATE (PET) from Discardable plastic containersin combination with a cement used as a binding and a chemical additive that facilitates adhesion between plastic and cement particles. Through these bricks it is possible to reuse significant amounts of plastic, since in each brick about 20 disposable plastic bottles are used.

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles – steps and images

If you have decided what you want Make echoladrillos to build your home or a community building In your town or residential area to collaborate with the care of the environment, among other aspects, testing these steps:

  1. Gather all the plastic bottles that are possible, clean them and also keep their plugs.
  2. Start filling the bottles with all the plastic material you find. In general, everything that is thrown into the yellow container can serve, including plastic plugs and aluminum or silver paper.
  3. See the materials for the filling to the bottom with the help of a long stick, since the echoladrillo must be very compact.
  4. Keep filling and pressing the materials until the bottle is completely fills and pull it with its plug. Thus, Tocucho will be ready and you will have to do the same process to do everyone you require.

How to make an ecological brick block

Once you have all the amount of Homemade plastic echoladrillosyou can start doing the Construction blocks. Depending on the objective and size of the construction you can directly use the tochos and join them in the process of lifting the building or, you can make large blocks and then join them, which is ideal for large constructions.

  1. Prepare a wooden rectangle to make the block of the block of the measures you need. Normally, seven bottles are used by 3 high.
  2. Make a mixture of cement.
  3. Place the echoladrillos in the mold and pour the cement in the spaces to fill.
  4. Wait for it to dry at all, for this you may have to wait all day, more or less time, because it will depend on the climate of the place where it is being built. Therefore, it is recommended to make more than a mold to prepare more than one block at the same time and expedite the process as much as possible.
  5. Once everything dry, unmold the block. It will be ready for the Constitution.

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles - How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles - Steps and images

Image: Architecture schemempresa.es.

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles -

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles -

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles -

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles -

How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottles -

If you want to read more articles similar to How to make ecological bricks with plastic bottleswe recommend that you enter our category of organic products.

Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
Published in