Though the detrimental impact of plastic on the environment is well-known, consumption of drinks bottled in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — the most commonly used polymer — continues to rise at alarming levels. According to experts, over 22,000 plastic bottles are discarded every second, and the numbers are only growing. While a fraction of them do get recycled, most end up in the ocean, where they disintegrate into smaller pieces and are often mistaken for food by innocent fish and birds.
Now, Robert Bezeau has come up with an idea that may not solve the world’s plastic woes, but will at least make a dent and hopefully inspire others — He plans to use the plastic soda bottles to build an entire village in the jungles of Bocas del Toro, Panama.
The Canadian entrepreneur, who has been living in the Central American country for many years,spearheaded Bocas Del Toro’s inaugural recycling project in 2012, after noticing plastic waste being carelessly tossed on the island’s beautiful beaches. During the year and a half it was in operation, Bezeau and his volunteers collected over a million plastic bottles!
While those recycling efforts have since ended, Bezeau was unable to ignore the magnitude of the waste being generated. So in 2015, he came up with the idea of using the bottles to construct homes, and Plastic Bottle Village was born. The project that is located in Isla Colón, the northernmost and main island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, is still in its infancy. So far, only one two-story house has been built. But if Bezeau has his way, there will soon be an entire community residing in the 90 to 120 homes that he hopes will make up Plastic Bottle Village. The development will also include a vegetable and herb garden, a small boutique, and an eco-lodge.
If he can raise the funds, Bezeau also plans to build an education center complete with studentdormitories so that others can learn how to use the plastic waste more productively. In keeping with the village’s location deep inside 83-acres of pristine jungle, everything will be as environmentally friendly as possible.
Innovative as the idea is, incorporating the plastic bottles into homes is surprisingly easy. The builders begin by constructing a steel frame that mimics the shape of the house and filling it with large PET bottles — the kind that usually contain soft drinks. Depending on the size, each home requires between 10,000 to 25,000 bottles. Once they are in place, necessary services like electric cables are installed. The bottle-filled frame is then plastered with layers of concrete after which come the windows, roof, and septic tank.
To read the full story, visit http://www.dogonews.com/2016/5/28/panamas-plastic-bottle-village-will-be-constructed-from-recycled-pet-bottles.