The Benefits of Building Classrooms out of Recycled Plastic Bricks

credit: Nick Carnes

For nearly a decade, UNICEF has been working with women in the Ivory Coast to turn their plastic waste into bricks that can be used to build new schools.

Now, the charity says, 383 classrooms have been built using more than 3,000 tons of plastic in the West African country, providing 19,150 children with new school infrastructure, CNN reports.

"It's a bold idea and implemented by brave pioneers willing to take a chance and to adapt along the way," says UNICEF USA's country director for the Plastic Bricks Project, noting that the project needed at least 1,000 women to collect plastic trash to keep up with demand.

But fewer than 200 were recruited.

As a solution, about 70% of the plastic waste is purchased from the private sectorcreating an incentive for local entrepreneurs and supporting the market for recycled plastic wastewith half going to the women and half to the collective.

Meanwhile, UNICEF has hosted trainings for engineers, construction workers, and designers with an emphasis on employing women, and the Colombian social enterprise that manufactures the plastic bricks has partnered with UNICEF to create building kits for others who have been trained to work with the material.

So far, 167 new classrooms have been built, and many lessons have been learned along the way.

Among them: plastic bricks

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Momentus Capital Closes $171 Million Equitable Prosperity Fund
Foundation: Marguerite Casey Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Kresge Foundation

Stephen Stephens' father died of cancer when he was 53, and his message to young people has stayed with him. "Always do the right thing son," he tells Fast Company. "That message has always...more

6 Things to Know When Building an Authentic Green Brand

When it comes to sustainability, Entrepreneur says, "it takes more than just lip service." That's because it takes a "thorough commitment to evaluate every aspect of your operation to develop...more

Who Serves Humanity &Amp; Strives to Make the World a Better Place?
Foundation: Indianapolis Foundation

Lynne Arriale's new album, Being Human, is all about "people who exemplify Passion, courage, love, curiosity, and other human qualities," the Florida pianist tells Rita Kohn of the Indianapolis...more

Unoma Okorafor, Co-Founder, Fairview Data Technologies

When Unoma Okorafor started working on her master's degree in computer science at the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja, Nigeria, in the mid-'90s, she had no idea she'd end up in...more

As Some Question Higher Ed'S Value, Colleges Work To Fix The 'Time Trap'

"Time-trap thinking seems logical," writes Lori Carrell in the Los Angeles Times, "but it's short-sighted: Degrees mean real earning power and career growth, and many students do work during...more

How Philanthropy Can Help to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals

"If the class register were anything to go by, education would be one of modern civilization's greatest success stories." That's what Peter Wilson, a member of the UBS Accelerate Collective, had...more

As Melinda French Gates Leaves the Gates Foundation, Many Hope She'Ll ...
Foundation: Gates Foundation

Melinda French Gates is stepping down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she founded with her ex-husband Bill Gates more than 20 years ago. As part of an agreement made...more

Nada Show Attend

If you're in the market for a new car, the NADA Show in New Orleans in January is your best chance to see what's out there. Here's a look at some of the buzzy new offerings, courtesy of Jalopnik,...more

Potato Power: Ongoing Philanthropic Collaboration Elevates Research in Sustainable Agriculture

Ahmad Al-Mallahi is a professor of agricultural engineering and sensing technologies at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and he's spent the past five years developing technology that could...more

Microschools Offer Montana Families Creative, Learner-Centered Education Options

When Christa Hayes' kids shut down their public schools in 2020, the Montana math professor started hearing from parents seeking help for their children's schoolwork and wanting to find a way for...more