In Perambalur, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles loaded with plastic bags are the unlikely champions of a sustainable building movement. The ‘eco-brick’ initiative, the brainchild of C. Mithra, secretary of Christian Educational Institutions (CEI) and director of CEI’s social service division DAWN Trust, has been making headlines in Perambalur since 2018 for its cost-effective and environmentally friendly qualities.

There is no denying that we are overusing plastic, to the point that microplastics have invaded our food chain. Plastic garbage removal and management is a major issue in Perambalur. I learned about the ‘eco-bricks’ concept from web videos. Plastic packets collected at home might be used to make a block if firmly packed inside PET bottles. After you cram mud or other polymers inside the bottle, it grows stronger. “Each full bottle can make for an eco-brick,” Ms. Mithra explained.

While initial efforts to employ these bricks were limited to street furniture and decorative fittings such as Christmas trees, the CEI and DAWN team quickly began building a room on the CEI campus in Venkatesapuram using eco-bricks. “We believed it would be a model that others may mimic for their local needs, and on how to repurpose plastic waste constructively,” Ms. Mithra added.

The crew gathered approximately 5,000 one-liter PET bottles

Over 500 students and staff from Christian Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Christian College of Education, TCRMO School of Nursing, and volunteers from Kavulpalayam village participated in the production of the eco-bricks, with bottles separated by size. The crew gathered approximately 5,000 one-liter PET bottles plastic covers and packaging. From TASMAC businesses, marriage halls, households, and the Municipality junkyard for the 400 sq. ft room’s walls.

“To reach the World Earth Day deadline. Each student was to produce at least four to five eco-bricks every day. For the final phase, we engaged a local expert and mason to ensure that it was structurally solid,” Ms. Mithra said.

The bottle bricks and the room’s flooring, which are composed of crushed plastic waste, were cemented with a somewhat smaller amount of concrete than is normally used in buildings. A protective covering of ultraviolet (UV) paint guarantees that the plastic bottles do not melt when exposed to heat.

“An additional benefit is that these eco-bricks are reusable. Because they are not prone to deterioration like other raw materials. You can transfer them from one location and utilize them in another,” Ms. Mithra explained.

The crew is now installing an eco-brick seat for visitors at Perambalur’s Government Hospital and aims to utilize the concept to build homes and bathrooms for economically disadvantaged households. “This is one method to safeguard our environment while simultaneously helping people who don’t have a roof over their heads,” Ms. Mithra remarked.