Most of us involved in the environmentally-friendly community have heard of the "garbage patch" that's caught in the Pacific Ocean. It should come as no surprise that this massive collection of trash contains a seemingly-infinite amount of plastic, including plastic bottles. To help limit the amount of plastic that winds up in the Pacific, many people bring their used bottles to recycling facilities.
But others have come up with a new way to use these bottles. According to an article featured on EnergyRefuge.com, in Kaduna State, Nigeria, plastic bottles are being made into building blocks to create a structure that is "so sturdy it could stand for thousands of years." Nigerians are taking the plastic bottles that would otherwise most likely end up in the Pacific's "garbage patch" and filling them with mud to create three-room structures.
As reported in EnergyRefuge.com's article, "The bottle house is a result of the work initiated by Katrin Macmillan, who launched Nigeria's bottle recycling program in December 2010." With the help of this program, bottles from restaurants, homes and more are reused in an attempt to help protect the environment.
Not only will these plastic bottle structures help to keep Nigeria clean, but they will also create shelter where needed. For example, according to EnergyRefuge.com, "The next Nigerian bottle building project is a school hall in Seluja at the Africa School of Excellence, which urgently needs classroom space." What a great way to not only help protect our climate, but also make use of an abundant amount of a man-made resource.
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