Ecobricks: A Creative Solution to Manage Plastic Waste-Free Lifestyle

In this era, the problem of plastic waste cannot be taken lightly. The increasing human population in the world is certainly increasing human needs. Therefore, there are also many products being produced by industries in the world. This is of course good for us, because with this, human needs are met and the economy in the world becomes stable. However, we also need to look at this from a different perspective. Indirectly, it produces plastic waste, which we know is a type of waste that is difficult to decompose. Responding to this, we have certainly found many solutions to process plastic waste into something useful and has a selling value, one of the solutions that I recommend is with ecobricks.

Ecobricks are plastic bottles filled with solid non-biodegradable plastic waste. The result can be a mini table or mini chair. Besides being a waste management solution, ecobricks also have many positive benefits for the community. For example, increasing community creativity, opening up business opportunities and the creation of eco-friendly products2. Ecobricks can be applied in our school community and in our family.

Talking about ecobricks, of course we need to know the steps in the ecobricking process. 

Here are the steps that need to be done;

• Collect plastic beverage bottles and plastic packages, such as (instant noodle packages, instant drinks, plastic wrappers, plastic bags, etc.).
• Cleaning and drying all collected plastic waste.
• The size of the bottle is based on the needs and concept of the result to be made. (The bigger the bottle, the longer it will take and the more plastic that must be filled).
• Prepare scissors and a small, arm-length piece of wood.
• After that, cut the large plastic food packaging waste first.
• Then, plastic waste in the form of packaging that has been cut is ready to be inserted into a plastic bottle using the wood that has been prepared and compacted until the bottle is filled.
• The last process after all, plastic bottles have been filled with plastic packaging until solid, then the plastic bottles are ready to be arranged and combined as desired such as the size of a table or chair.

By looking at the benefits and process of ecobricking, it is hoped that we can become more aware of the importance of thinking creatively, responsibly and caring more about the environment around us. By understanding and implementing solutions like ecobricking, we can collectively reduce the negative impact of plastic waste and transition to a more plastic-free lifestyle.