plastic bottles have found a new use in the west African country of Nigeria. In the village of Yelwa, north-western Nigeria, a project is underway that will see 25 houses built from recycled plastic bottles filled with dry soil or construction waste.The resulting buildings will not only be bullet and earthquake-proof but also cost as little as a third of similar houses being built from conventional mortar and bricks, as well as being more durable.
The land was donated to the project by a Greek businessman and environmentalist and the homes will consist of one bedroom, living room, bathroom, toilet and kitchen. Around 7,800 empty plastic bottles are used per structure and are mostly sourced from hotels, embassies, and restaurants.
Bottled water currently amounts to between 20-25% of water sales in the country, the equivalent of 500 million litres a year. Most of these bottles end up either in landfill or in the environment. The project is part of an initiative led by the Development Association for Renewable Energies, who plan to build a three-storey school on the same site as the houses. The plastic bottle architecture is useful for another reason. The sand in the bottles act as an insulator, which brings temperatures within the home down in the hot climate of Nigeria.
This is not the first time plastic bottles have been used in architecture and design. In Guatemala for example, recycled plastic bottles have been used to build a local school.
