Rubbish and pollution are major problems in South African township communities. Wherever you go you will see trash laying around on the street.
The public waste collection is not working properly and all attempts from the government to solve the rubbish problem have not been successful.
The volunteers at our IZIZWE Projects in Walmer Township decided to tackle the problem themselves and came up with the idea of making Ecobricks which serves as a great way to alleviate the current waste issue.
What is an Eco brick?
An Ecobrick is a plastic bottle which is filled with non-recyclable plastic trash inside. The trash can vary from styrofoam to packaging. It is very important to dry and clean it before putting it in the bottle because this will provide the formation of mold and gas-building inside of the Ecobrick. Ecobricks can be made from any kind of plastic bottles but it’s easier to focus on one size while building a project. It can be used in the same way as a normal brick and you can build all kind of things with it. In Guatemala,example, there are already 38 schools built out of Ecobricks. To manufacture the bricks, normal cement is needed to add stabilization to the projects.
Why do we use Eco bricks at IZIZWE Projects?
Since there is a huge amount of trash in the township the Ecobricks give us a great opportunity to keep the environment clean and show the people in the township how to build an ecofriendly alternative for normal bricks. It gives the people the chance to build their own furniture without having to spend a lot of money. They basically just have to collect the trash they are producing anyways.
To create awareness for our project we are currently working on an Ecobrick wall in the shape of the South African flag to decorate our container. It looks nice and decorative and keeps us safe from the typical PE winds.
