Whenever we drink water from a single-use plastic bottle, we never think about how easily we throw it away. You know that from 1950 to 1970, plastic production was done on a small scale so that we could control the plastic waste. After that, from 1970 to 1990, plastic production tripled, and with it, plastic waste also tripled. According to the Baseline Report on Plastic Waste Today, we are producing 400 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. Out of which, if we talk about empty plastic bottles, 481.6 billion are being used worldwide in a single year. 40 billion per month and 1.3 billion per year. Of which only 9% of plastic is recycled. So, at a time when plastic waste, which we have invented ourselves, is damaging our environment, solutions that reduce pollution and also utilize waste have become necessary, a great example of which we can take is the Bottle School.
Concept of the Bottle school
The first bottle school was built in Guatemala by the non-profit organization Hug It Forward. When the community focuses on education and the environment, such examples have emerged. Waste plastic bottles have been used in the construction of the bottle school, so there are three main benefits: one is that the land that was going to be damaged by plastic bottles will be stopped, the second is that the bottles will be recycled and the third is that the school will be built for children to study, thus the plastic bottles will prove beneficial. While building the school, the columns and beams are made of concrete reinforced with iron, then instead of using bricks, the walls are made of eco-bricks – that is, plastic bottles are filled with plastics that cannot be recycled, such as plastic bags and packets. After that, the bottles are placed between chicken wire, covered with cement, and the walls are built. Thus, 6500 eco-bricks and two-tone plastic waste are used to build two classrooms, which would have harmed the environment. Thus, schools are starting to be built that cause less harm to the environment.
Conclution
Whenever humans themselves have made such inventions or produced such a product that harms the environment, they have to suffer for it themselves. Therefore, whatever environmental problems there are, most likely they have been created by humans. Now, when the time has come that its effects are being seen on a large scale, ideas like bottle schools, small ideas that seem to have a big impact, can be considered as good examples, and we can save the environment from such efforts, which will be beneficial for us.
Also Read:
- Islamic Center of Rochester (ICR) | Community & Worship Hub
- Masjid I Imam – History, Architecture & More
- Islamic Center of Washington | A Hub for Worship, Community & Culture
- Islamic Association of North Texas | IANT Mosque & Community Center
Rudra
Rudra Vala is a PhD researcher in architecture with academic roots at MSU Baroda and current work at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad.