Overview
- Three distinct approaches are now in use: filled-and-compacted plastic bottles, interlocking recycled blocks that snap together, and industrially melted-and-pressed panels used to build homes quickly.
- EcoDom in Puebla says its plant processes about 5.5 tonnes of plastic per day and has produced roughly 500 room extensions and 300 houses using 2-tonne to 2.4-metre panels molded from shredded plastic.
- A TETO Brasil pilot built a 27 m² house in Carapicuíba from about two tonnes of recycled plastic that was assembled in roughly 15 hours and includes solar panels and rainwater capture.
- Proponents cite big cost and social gains — Andreas Froese claims his bottle-brick method can cut costs by about 40% and EcoDom reports higher pay for informal collectors — but these claims rely on implementer data.
- Key technical questions remain about toxic emissions when plastics are heated to about 350°C, long-term durability, structural reinforcements, and the need for independent engineering tests and formal approvals before wider scaling.