Ecobricks: Laying the foundation for a sustainable world

What is the last piece of plastic you threw away?  Was it your granola bar wrapper? The packaging from your latest Amazon purchase? Your grocery bag?  We are addicted to plastic. It's in...

The next best thing to using no plastic is making plastic useful.

Related Topics:
Green Living, Past Storyfest Entries, Recycling & Upcycling

What is the last piece of plastic you threw away? 

Was it your granola bar wrapper? The packaging from your latest Amazon purchase? Your grocery bag? 

We are addicted to plastic. It’s in grocery stores, in hospitals, in our homes. It’s everywhere. But where does it all go? According to the EPA, only around 9% of all plastics are recycled. 

It’s not enough to just use less plastic. Since plastic takes upwards of 450 years to decompose, most of the plastic that has been made since its invention in 1907 still exists on Earth. As it decomposes, it releases hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere and the ocean. 

But what if there was a way to use plastic waste?

Enter ecobricks. 

When Jonathan Cerdas first stuffed plastic bottles to the brim with discarded plastic in Costa Rica, he never would have expected how much this simple act would change the way volunteers from all over the world think about plastic consumption. He may have just started a revolution. 

How did he do it? See for yourself. 

How do you move the planet forward?
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Tags:
Community, consumption, costa rica, Eco-friendly, Green Communities, plastic, recycling, storyfest, The George Washington University

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