Conceptos Plásticos, a Colombian company that builds the Houses of LEGO

  • 2017

A Colombian company called, Plastic Concepts, has come up with a solution to the problem of garbage dumps by recycling plastic in LEGO building blocks for housing construction at a very economical price.

Plastic Concepts and their Colombian LEGO Houses

Pollution is one of the main problems in the world. The increase of the human population, and the increase of garbage dumps and the extension of day by day, are leading to an increase in plastic waste around the world, they accumulate in rivers, oceans and drinking water.

A Colombian company with a somewhat simple name, Plastic Concepts, has come up with the solution to this problem by recycling plastic in LEGO building blocks so that families can use them to build their houses.

Plastic Concepts transforms plastic and rubber waste into an alternative building material for housing. Plastic waste melts and is poured into a mold to produce plastic blocks that function as LEGO pieces . The materials contain additive that makes them resistant to fire, and since the structure is plastic based, they can also withstand earthquakes. The LEGO building blocks are easy to assemble and comfortable for your pocket.

The model of the house Conceptos Plásticos is divided into two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, dining room and kitchen. It can be installed in just five days by four people who do not need to have any previous experience in the construction area. The price is very reasonable, only about $ 130 per square meter for 40 square meters of the house, which is about $ 5200.

“In Bogotá alone, approximately 750 tons of plastic waste are thrown into the landfill, of which only 100 tons are recycled. “We are making about 100 plastic homes in Doña Juana (landfill in the city), which gives value to something that has no market.” Says Oscar Andrés Méndez, the owner of the company.

Plastic buildings are already providing shelter for people in need . "In 2015, at least 42 families displaced by violence could be helped in Guapi and Cauca by building a shelter for families."

Méndez realized the serious problem caused by plastic waste in Latin America, as well as the 45 percent housing deficit in each country. His company, Plastic Concepts, aims to address these two problems.

Méndez told Forbes:

“We hope to create a movement where more and more people get involved. We want to develop new products that make better use of the thousands and thousands of tons of plastic that are discarded. Soon there will be more plastic in the sea of ​​fish, so you really need to do something big. ”

Its clients are the government, NGOs, foundations and private companies, which pays for the housing solution of the communities they attend. They also provide material for communities to use, in addition to training on how to build their houses using LEGO as bricks. The construction system used is 30 percent cheaper than traditional systems in rural areas. The effort to contribute to sustainable development by reducing poverty and mitigating environmental risks is certainly commendable.

AUTHOR: JoT333, editor of the great family of hermandadblanca.org

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