Colombian company builds homes from plastic in days
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In Bogotá, Colombia, Oscar Andrés Méndez and Isabel Cristina Gámez co-founded Conceptos Plásticos, a company that transforms recycled plastic into interlocking building blocks.
The pair began their work in 2010, seeking solutions to housing shortages and environmental pollution. Conceptos Plásticos collects plastic waste, including bags, food containers, and shampoo bottles, melts it down, and molds it into bricks that connect like Lego pieces.
These plastic bricks allow the company to construct a two-bedroom house, complete with a bathroom, living room, kitchen, and dining area, in approximately five days. A typical home requires around six tons of plastic and costs between US$4000 and US$7000 to build, which is less expensive than traditional construction methods. The blocks weigh about three kilograms each and offer resistance to earthquakes and fire, as well as good insulation.
Beyond reducing waste and providing affordable housing, Conceptos Plásticos addresses social issues. In 2017, UNICEF representative Aboubacar Kampo approached the founders to help address plastic waste problems and deteriorating schools in Côte d'Ivoire. The company now provides employment to people who previously collected plastic in landfills for low wages and has already built over 50 homes and schools in Colombia through partnerships with private companies and a non-governmental organization.
Méndez estimates each building constructed with these blocks will last over 200 years.
