Ecobrick Project

Our Ecobrick Project started as a solution to help remove plastics from the surrounding community to help tackle the health and environmental problems faced by plastic pollution. Ecobricks serve as an alternative to traditional bricks and have a far greater life span, therefore acting as a long-term solution to the current plastic waste problem. Our goal is to use these bricks to build benches throughout the community which currently has no public seating areas in place.

 

Our sample ecobrick benches have drawn local interest of the villagers and local businesses. The ecobrick benches serve as an educational tool for The Angel Projects Uganda team to educate people on the dangers of plastic pollution. This has since mobilized 80% community engagement for this recycling technique.

 

We have already witnessed progressive change within Rubuguri where community members are now using Angel Projects trash bags to dispose of their plastic bottles and packaging. Members of the community are also keen to join in on The Angel Projects litter picking days to remove as much plastic from the surrounding environment as possible.

Alongside eco brick benches we will begin building eco brick walls, starting with The Angel Projects guest house. Utilizing eco bricks as the main component of walls will enable us to draw a far greater volume of plastic out of the environment.

 

Moving forward we will continue constructing walls and benches throughout the community, creating a long-term solution that not only protects human health and the environment but also serves a functional purpose.

 

Who are we helping/ Where are we helping/
How will this project impact the community?

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Within this region of Southwestern Uganda there is no access to the general forms of waste disposal that we are familiar with, such as landfills and recycling plants. This results in plastics burned by each individual household and plastics littered throughout the whole community. These two modes of plastic disposal result in major health and environmental problems. When burning plastic, harmful toxins are released into the atmosphere. If these toxins are inhaled, they can lead to heart and respiratory diseases which are particularly hard to treat in areas such as Rubuguri due to its limited access to medical resources. The plastic that does not get burned makes its way into surrounding soils.

 

This is cause for concern due to the high dependency on the agricultural sector for household incomes. As more plastic pollution makes its way into these soils, the ability to produce viable crop yields decreases affecting overall household incomes and livelihoods.

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The production of Eco bricks serves as a solution to tackle both issues related to plastic pollution. Each brick takes around 80 lbs. of plastic waste, so a small bench consisting of approximately two hundred bottles removes a total of 80 lbs of plastic from the community. If we go further and consider a small wall consisting of around 10,000 ecobricks then a staggering 3740 lbs. of plastic is removed from the community.

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Future Impact

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With the continued construction of benches and walls throughout the community there will be a significant shift in the environmental landscape of this region. Overall health and wellbeing of the community will be improved when the burning of plastic is no longer viewed as the only mode of plastic disposal. Crop yields will remain stable as further soil pollution ends. Finally, the construction of eco brick benches and walls have the long-term sustainability to manage plastic pollution within this region until modern recycling facilities become accessible.

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Plastic pollution within the rural communities of Uganda is a pressing issue due to the negative health and environmental impacts it causes. To address this issue The Angel Projects of America have produced a solution. Through the production of eco bricks we can minimize the negative impact plastic has on the village of Rubuguri and its surrounding areas while simultaneously producing functional structures that serves the community.