A new scheme is transforming an African village’s litter problem into a positive by reusing it to build new residences.
The Developmental Association for Renewable Energies (DARE), in association with UK-based organisation Africa Community Trust, has implemented the pilot project in the Nigerian village of Sabon Yelwa.
Concrete foundations provide a solid base for the residence, while the construction process involves taking used plastic bottles, filling them with sand and reattaching the caps before stacking on top of the other and securing with layers of mud.
Concrete foundations provide a solid base for the residence and reams of brightly coloured string lend a jovial touch to the inside walls.
The home will be bullet and fireproof, earthquake resistant, and maintains a comfortable interior temperature.
In addition to being a sustainable solution to Nigeria’s housing shortage, the project provides street children with a more stable job and also ensures a place at the next building project in planning - a local school.
Teenagers have also been working on the construction project, as a first step into full time employment and returning to education.
Read more in an article in Inhabitiat: Africa's First Plastic Bottle House Rises in Nigeria | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
