Sulu to produce ecobricks

A provincial government photo shows Gov. Sakur Tan and First

Lady Nurunisah Tan,Provincial Director of Sulu Provincial

Women Council, posing with staff.

SULU – This southern Filipino province has now embarked on an environment-friendly facility that will manufacture or produce ecobricks and the project has received strong support from various stakeholders. Governor Sakur Tan and Nurunisah Tan,Provincial Director of Sulu Provincial Women Council, led the cutting of the ribbon at Sulu Sahaya Eco-Hub signaling the start of the eco-friendly operation,and advocacy towards reducing plastic waste in the province.

    

    The Sulu Sahaya Eco-Hub produces ecobricks, ecocast, and ecopavers which are all made from plastic waste collected all throughout the province. This is made in acquiescence to its objective in reducing plastic materials, and in promoting a cleaner and greener Lupah Sug.

    This facility is located in the village of Kajatian in Indanan town. Last October, Tan announced the creation of “Sulu Sahaya sin Kababaihan Eco-Hub,” a processing facility that will repurpose the use of plastics and other non-recyclable waste in manufacturing of ecobricks.

    Tan said the objective of the project is to reduce household waste by as much as 30%. “This will provide a solution to plastic waste disposal and sanitary landfill, and unclogging our waterways,” he said.

    An ecobrick is a building block made entirely from unrecyclable plastic and can be used as a building block.

    The provincial government also released a photo of what the factory would produce and it is similar to the ecobricks being made by Green Antz Builders which is made of plastic sachets and other non-recyclable wastes. 

    The Green Antz Builders' ecobrick is composed of 100 plastic laminates, shredded and then mixed with wet cement. This mixture is poured into a brick-pressing machine that the group also invented. The finished product can be used to build various infrastructures, from houses to schools, and buildings.

Its ecobricks look different from ordinary building blocks and resemble lego blocks. The plastic laminates also act as an insulator that locks out the heat passing through normal hollow blocks, making ecobricks cooler and more durable,according to Green Antz Builders' co-founder Mark Yulores when interviewed by Xinhua.

    But according ecotricity.co.uk, ecobricks can be used in all sorts of sustainable building projects, which makes them a great way to dispose of plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill, and potentially, the ocean. The plastic in an ecobrick is very durable and will never break down, making it an ideal building material. They’re used in developing countries to construct furniture and even buildings, and they’re also used to build children’s playgrounds.  

    In South Africa there are many sustainable construction projects underway,including outdoor classrooms, community gardens and a composting toilet, and in Guatemala there are a number of schools built from the plastic bottle bricks. 

    Ecobrick scan be used in all sorts of sustainable building projects, which makes them a great way to dispose of plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfill,and potentially, the ocean. Eco Bricks is a combined 50% sand and 50%pulverized plastic.

    Aside from the obvious environmental benefits, ecotricity.co.uk said there are lots of other great things about ecobricks. Ecobricks are a great way to recycle plastic that doesn’t break down and would most likely end up in landfill, or worse, the ocean. But there are lots of other great things about ecobricks: 

    - Plastic is actually a very useful material – we’re just producing too much of it and disposing of it in an unsustainable way. The characteristics that make plastic so difficult to dispose of – its durability,longevity and water resistance – also make it a brilliant building material.

    - They encourage you to reduce your plastic waste. As you see how much rubbish you put in an ecobrick, you’ll see how much you’re throwing away. This can help you cut down on what you’re buying and ultimately produce less waste. As well as preventing plastics from ending up in the ocean, ecobricks also save plastic from being incinerated. When plastic is burned, it releases CO2, generating carbon emissions and contributing to global warming.

    The biggest advantage of ecobricks is that they take something that would otherwise have a negative impact on the environment, and turn it into something that benefits local communities. (Mindanao Examiner)