Costa Rican Mother's Home Built with Over 7 Tons of Recycled Plastic
Costa Rican mother Cindy Mora Abarca and her son Fabrizio finally have a permanent home after nine years of saving for land. The house was built using interlocking blocks made from recycled plastic, with over 7 tons of material used in its construction.
The project was a partnership between Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble's corporate social responsibility program, and local organizations Urbarium and Ekojunto. Volunteers worked alongside these groups to complete the house in April 2018.
The recycled plastic blocks were designed to fit together like Lego pieces and provide thermal and acoustic insulation. They also comply with Costa Rica's 2010 seismic construction code. The traditional construction methods used for elements like the foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical wiring, doors, and windows do not detract from the innovative aspect of the project.
Andrea Ramírez of Urbarium described this system as turning plastic waste into a construction resource instead of treating it as material for disposal. The finished building looks like a conventional home rather than one made from recycled materials.