Ecobricks are a simple, low-tech solution to our plastic. Without the need for machines, special skills or capital ecobricks enable us to take personal responsibility for the plastic that we’ve consumed by keeping it out of industrial systems, securing it out of the environment, and putting it to good use in modules and earth constructions.
An ecobrick is a PET bottle packed solid with clean and dry used plastic. Ecobricks are made to a set density to create reusable building blocks and sequester plastic. Ecobricks terminally reduce the net surface area of packed plastic to effectively secure it from degrading into toxins and microplastics. Ecobricks can make modular units, lego-furniture, open spaces and earthen gardens and structures. The Global Ecobrick Alliance promotes ecobricking as an ayyew collaboration powered technology, grounded in regenerative principles that accelerates plastic transition.
Ecobricking is a both an individual and collaborative endeavour. It unites people across class, age, economy and continents around the shared intention of caring for the local and global biosphere. The personal ecobricking process raise awareness of the consequences of consumption and the dangers of plastic. The collaborative process gives individual and communities an hands on experience of regenerative living and points in the direction of even deeper regenerative technologies, such as earth building and permaculture.
The GEA considers ecobricked plastic that has been authenticated to have met our standards (below) and sequestration criteria, to be sequestered plastic.
Regular Ecobricks
Normal ecobricks are made with any size of transparent PET plastic bottle. The bottle and the packed plastic are clean and dry to prevent the growth of bacteria. Typically, ecobrickers use a wood or bamboo stick to manually pack plastic into the plastic bottle. Plastic is cut or ripped into small pieces then packed little by little, alternating between adding the plastic and compacting it, layer by layer. The bottle is rotated with each press to ensure the plastic is evenly compacted throughout the bottle. This helps prevent voids and that the packing reaches the requisite solidity needed for a building block applications.
Completed ecobricks are packed solid enough that they can bear the weight of a person without deforming and to prohibit easy flammability while increasing its durability and re-usability.
To be an ecobrick, the following standards must be met:
- The ecobrick is made using a transparent PET bottle
- The ecobrick is only packed with used plastics that have been cleaned and dried..
- The ecobrick must have a density of 0.33g/ml or higher
- The ecobrick must have a density of 0.70g/ml or less
- The ecobrick is sealed tight with a screw down lid.
- Care has been taken taken to prepare the ecobrick as a reusable building block:
- The label has been removed and ecobricked.
- A bottom color has been added
- The weight has been permanently recorded on the outside.
Only ecobricks that meet these standards can be authenticated and count as sequestered plastic.
Cigbricks
Cigbricks are a new class of ecobrick design to transform the habit of smoking and the acetate from the cigarette filter into a personal and environmental solution. Cigbricks are made exclusively from the packed acetate filters of cigarette butts (with the paper removed).
To be a Cigbrick the following standards must be met:
- A minimum density of 0.3g/ml
- A maximum density of 0.70g/ml
- Are only packed with acetate cigarette butts – the paper and ash have been removed..
- The cigbrick is sealed tight with a screw down lid.
- Care has been taken taken to prepare the cigbrick as a reuseable building block:
- The label has been removed and ecobricked.
- A bottom color has been added
- The weight has been recorded on the outside.
Only cigbricks that meet these standards can be authenticated and count as sequestered plastic.
Ocean Ecobricks
The Ocean Ecobrick is a class of ecobrick designed for plastics found on beaches, rivers and in the ocean. These plastics tend to be large, chunky, dirty, and wet and are not suited to make a regular ecobrick. The Ocean Ecobrick technique enables these plastics to be easily transformed into a practical, useful, and reusable building block.
To be an Ocean Ecobrick the following standards must be met:
- A minimum density of 0.3g/ml
- A maximum density of 0.70g/ml
- Are packed with as much plastic as possible
- Is sealed tight.
- Care has been taken taken to prepare the ocean ecobrick as a reuseable building block:
- The label has been removed and ecobricked.
- A bottom color has been added
- The weight has been recorded on the outside.
Only ocean ecobricks that meet these standards can be authenticated and count as sequestered plastic.
Learn more about Ocean Ecobricks
Learn More
We’ve developed extensive, free and open source resource to get you started ecobricking right! Our goal is to empower you and your community with the know-how to make ecobricks and build with them. The pages on this siteare the result of years of research, experimentation and trial and error by our trainer network around the world.
Plastic Sequestration
Ecobricking is a form of plastic sequestration – it secures plastics out of the biosphere and accelerates plastic transition.
Circular Design
Ecobricks are a deep solution to plastic as they apply regenerative, circular principles. All GEA ecobrick applications are 100% cradle-to-cradle.
Why Ecobrick?
Ecobricks keep plastic & C02 out of the biosphere. Ecobricks raise ecological consciousness. And more!
Regenerative
Ecobricking is a what we call a regenerative technology. Rather than “sustaining” the status quo, we’re careful that everything we do re-greens rather than greys.
Jo Stodgel | Santa Fe, USA
“In America, we might have lots of recycling, but that doesn’t mean the plastic goes away.” Jo ecobricks all his plastic to keep it out of the industrial recycling system. Read Jo’s full story…
