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.
Changing the conversation around dementia
Reducing stigma starts with the words we use, and shifting the way we talk about dementia is a powerful step forward. This World Alzheimer’s Month, Ryman is highlighting the importance of reducing the discrimination caused by stigma surrounding people living with dementia.
Caroline Bartle, Ryman’s Dementia Care and Innovations Lead, says that using appropriate language when referring to people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia can foster a more inclusive society. This not only benefits those experiencing cognitive decline but also their families and the wider community.
Click read more for the full article.
Check your supermarket receipts
Today I went to Woolworths Cnr Munroe and Dickens Streets, Napier and purchased a 3 litre bottle of Woolworth milk. I got a surprise to see that it had gone up from $5.72 to $5.96. However, when it was scanned at the checkout I was charged $6.06. I was confused and thought I had got the price wrong so went back to check, sure enough the shelf price was $5.96. When making a complaint with the supervisor I was offered a refund of the error difference, but I said this was not right. She then refunded the full amount and told me to keep the milk. If you are concerned about your grocery bill it pays to check and complain if you believe an error has been made.
Can you crack Today’s neighbourhood conundrum?
Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing, I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
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