Ecobricks: Clever DIY Solutions for Plastic Waste

From candy wrappers to plastic bags, thin, hard-to-recycle plastics seem to permeate various parts of our lives. Because these lightweight plastics are small and nearly impossible to recycle, they can easily turn to litter in nature, on roads, and even the ocean. 

A clever, easy way to capture plastics before they enter the environment is with ecobricks. Anyone can make one, and they’re a fun DIY for any age. 

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What Are Bottle Bricks

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Ecobricks (a.k.a bottle bricks) are just plastic bottles, densely packed with small bits of plastic. Making ecobricks not only diverts these small, pesky plastics away from the environment, but it also helps us realize just how much plastic we have in our lives and get motivated to eliminate it where we can.

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How to Make a Bottle Brick

The key to making a usable bottle brick is choosing the right materials and packing the bottle densely. The folks at Ecobricks have gotten this down to a science. Here’s the process they recommend: 

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1. Choose your bottle. If you plan to make a structure as you create bottle bricks, you’ll want your bottles to be identical in size and shape. Do not add glass, metal, or biodegradable plastics to your ecobrick.
2. Collect the plastic: You’re looking for thin plastics like bags and wrappers, as well as styrofoam and plastic straws. 
3. Clean and dry your plastic to avoid mildew or mold. 
4. Get your smashing stick! Some eco brickers call it their magic wand. To make your brick as dense as possible, you’ll need to smoosh down the plastic as you collect it. The stick should fit through the opening of the bottle and be long enough to reach the bottom. 
5. Add your plastics, and smoosh as you go. You’ll need to cut some of the plastic into smaller pieces to make it easier to smoosh down. Pro-tip: Consider making the bottom layer of your ecobrick all one color. If you use the bottle brick in a structure, this will be the most visible part, so choosing a solid color adds a bit of design pop. 
6. Seal and log your brick. After you’ve collected enough plastics and smooshed them down as much as possible, you can seal your bottle with a lid. You can weigh your brick to feel a sense of accomplishment when you find out how much plastic you’ve kept out of the environment.

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What to Do With Finished Bottle Bricks

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Ecobricks are often used as a structural base for concrete structures like benches, walls, and small structures. With enough bricks, you can make one at home, or you can go in with your community to make a structure at a local school, park, or community garden.

You may also be able to find a place near you that collects bottle brick donations. 

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Be wary of using ecobricks to build garden structures, because over time the plastic will very slowly degrade and can leech microplastics and chemicals into the soil, and in turn, your plants.