A Simple Guide on How to Make Eco-Bricks
September 26, 2022

John Wesley Hyatt made the first synthetic polymer in 1869. Everyone was interested in the fact that a human had never before been able to produce a substance that wasn't found in nature. Although there was significant demand for ivory at the time, the industry's morale was poor because it was viewed as the murderer of wild elephants. Plastic was promoted as a superior option because it could take on various forms and doesn't harm animals.
Leo Baekeland later developed the first totally synthetic plastic. It is excellent for mass production, has a long lifespan, and is heat resistant. Major companies accelerated plastic research and development because they thought the material would offer countless opportunities.
Additionally, when supplies were scarce during World War II, it did get even more pervasive. Plastic quickly established itself as a top material for military equipment, including parachutes, body armor, uniforms, helmets, and aircraft windows due to its low cost and ease of mass production. During the war, plastic output in the US rose by 300%.
The US is currently the leading producer of plastic in the world. But unlike the glorification it formerly received, plastic is now blamed for the rise in dangerous trash production worldwide. Plastic contains dangerous substances that enter our food and marine environments, polluting the oceans and entering our bodies through ingestion.
The idea of recycling was first promoted in the 1960s by the plastics industry itself. As a result of the material's extended lifespan, plastic that has served its purpose can be reused, recycled, and upcycled for a new purpose rather than filling landfills for decades.
The Ecobrick was invented in the 2000s. An ecobrick, also known as an eco-friendly brick, is a building material made from a plastic bottle with additional plastic trash within. Susan Heisse, who intended to address the plastic waste buildup at Guatemala's Lake Atitlán, is credited with starting it all.
Russell Maiaer, the founder of Ecobricks.org, had a similar tale in which he used eco-bricks to build a garden wall to deal with waste in the Chico river, a source of water for the Igorot population in the Philippines.
Today, eco-brick is utilized in the construction of buildings, walls, and furniture.
