Eco-Bricks
What is an Eco-brick?
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with shredded, single-use, non-recyclable plastics, compressed to a required density to create a reusable building block. They are a sustainable way to reusenon-biodegradable plastic waste as they are regarded as a long-lasting and durable material.
Eco-bricks = a low energy solution to keeping plastic out of the ecosystem!
What is the purpose of an eco-brick?
Making an eco-brick can be a tedious and time-consuming project (but great to do whilst watching TV!) and the purpose of it is to make you responsible for your own plastic waste and encourage you to reduce your own consumption.
The aim is to help you cut down on what you’re buying and ultimately produce less waste whilst creating something beneficial for yourself or the community!
What goes into the eco-brick?
The most important thing about an eco-brick is that the contents are CLEAN and DRY before they get stuffed. The reason for this is to prevent any bacteria or mould forming inside, which will undo all your hard work as they will not be validated!
You can put inside an eco-brick:
Potato chip, biscuit, cake packets etc.
Stretchy plastic e.g., carrier bags, bread bags, clingfilm etc.
Pasta/rice packets
Packaging – bubble wrap/plastic envelopes
Styrofoam/polystyrene
Hard plastic – meat trays, flowerpots etc (however, hard plastics will need to be cut up into much smaller pieces than soft plastic to allow you to reach the weight requirements)
What can I make with an eco-brick?
The most common personal projects are footstools! They can be as small or as large as you want, you can be creative with the bottle bottom colours to make a cool pattern or cover them in some fabric to make a decorative piece around the house!
There are other smaller projects you can make, like doorstops for example! I am personally taking inspiration from this one found on Pinterest:
Ok, so how do I make one?
It is very simple! The picture below shows you how in 5 simple steps. The key is to just keep stuffing until you can’t any more! With time and patience, your brick will come to life.
Poll: Do you think a partial demolition is the right call?
One of the most recognisable buildings at Waikato Diocesan School for Girls could be demolished, except for part of the façade.
The school is asking for resource consent to knock down most of the earthquake-prone Cherrington House as part of plans to build a larger, safer administration block.
Do you think a partial demolition is the right call? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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33.3% Yes
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23.8% Not sure
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42.9% No
Poll: Are quality products on the decline?
Gift-giving looks a lot different these days when you can pick up super-cheap goods made overseas. But do they last?
Do you have any old items like appliances, electronics or clothing that have stood the test of time? Share below!
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91.9% Yes
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7.2% No
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0.9% Other - I'll share below
Poll: Would you like to do this?
The opportunity to www.waikatotimes.co.nz...
|get up close to an 11-month-old tiger cub|, a porcupine, a tuatara or the siamangs could be the perfect Christmas stocking fillers.
The Hamilton Zoo already offers encounters with macaws, tigers, ring-tailed lemurs and rhinos, however soon the others will be on offer.
Would you like to do this? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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75% Yes
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25% Maybe
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0% No
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