the-future-now: This startup is turning plastic waste into affordable housing The company called Eco

the-future-now:This startup is turning plastic waste into affordable housingThe company called Eco Domum, or Eco Home, is based in Puebla, Mexico. Founder Carlos Daniel González collects, sorts and melts down non-toxic plastics into a liquid, according to Unreasonable. That sludge is then put into a hydraulic press, which forms the plastic into hardened panels. It takes two tons of plastic to make one house. At scale, González’s plastic houses could be just what Mexico needs.Follow @the-future-now​This is remarkable! I guess offgassing isn’t an issue? Wonder if it smells when the weather is incredibly hot? Interesting in any case. Here’s excerpts from another article on it:“According to González, the process is relatively simple. First, the company collects all kinds of used plastic—from soda bottles to old toys—and separates it to find the types that melt without emitting harmful fumes. Then, they put the plastic into a machine to chop it up. Next, the pieces are placed in an oven that heats up to 350 degrees Celsius (over 600 degrees Fahrenheit), taking approximately half an hour to melt all of the material. Finally, the liquid goes through a hydraulic press, which simultaneously compresses and crystallizes the plastic into the shape of the panels.”Each panel is nearly eight feet long, four feet wide and approximately one inch thick. Houses are typically around 430-460 square feet and contain two rooms plus one bathroom, one living room and a kitchen. Constructing a house requires 80 panels, and at its current capacity, EcoDomum’s plant produces 120 panels a day, transforming and repurposing 5.5 tons of what was once plastic waste.“It only takes seven days to build a house that uses two tons of plastic,” said González. Furthermore, the durable, impermeable and affordable properties of plastic that have given it a competitive advantage for decades apply to these houses as well. “[A house] keeps you warm, the costs are low, it’s great for the environment, and it will last 100 years without falling apart. These are just some of our value propositions.”…“This has the potential to grow exponentially,” said González. “The problem of trash is huge in my country. In the whole world, there’s a ton of trash. In the next year, I want to grow the company ten-fold. First, we will concentrate in Mexico, but in 3-5 years, we want to go to other countries. There is poverty everywhere. The world is a house for everyone, and it’s worth it to fight for expanding this business. I will dedicate the rest of my life to this.”Ecodonum website (in Spanish) -- source link

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