Your First Ecobrick is the Most Important

Ecobrick making is simple and straightforward. Ecobricks can be made by the young,
the old and everyone in between– No machines or special skills are required! However,
there are important guidelines to follow to ensure the quality and useability of your
ecobricks.
Be sure to start ecobricking right— this is a long-term life habit that you, your household
and community are beginning. Likewise, your ecobricks will set the example for
everyone around you. Sub-standard ecobricks are to be avoided as they will
compromise the quality of furniture modules, constructions and the social spread of
ecobricks. During trainings and projects our GEA trainers grade ecobricks strictly and
do not accept poor quality ecobricks. We’ve thus put this 10 step guide together to help
you get going on your ecobrick journey.

1. Get your plastic ready

Plastic bag, straw, packaging and many more

Ecobricks are made with clean and dry plastic. Start by segregating your ecobrickable
plastic from all other materials. If there is any food, oil or dirt on your plastic, be sure to
wash then dry. Dirty plastic inside an ecobrick will lead to microbiological growth and
methane forming inside your ecobrick (for a solution for dirty plastic see the Ocean
Ecobrick). Since ecobricks are often used to make home furniture, using clean plastic is
thus important. Dirty plastic can lead to unsightly ecobricks, bloated bottles and in rare
cases, caps popping off.

2. Choose your bottle

When you start ecobricking, its good to choose ne kind of bottle that is in abundance in
your community and stick to it. When selecting the bottle that you will use, consider
three factors: the bottle’s availability, the volume, and the project you will use the
ecobrick for.

Availability: The last thing you want to have to do is buy drinks to have a bottle for
your ecobricking! Soon many people will be ecobricking in your community and it
is ideal to have everyone using the same brand and bottle. Be sure to choose a bottle
that everyone can easily come by.
Volume: Choose the bottle volume you want to go with. GEA Trainers teach
ecobricking with bottles under 600ml. Large 1500ml bottles will take alot of plastic…. but
also take a long time to make! Small volume bottles allow new ecobrickers to finish their
first ecobrick fast, and learn from their mistakes. Large bottles are best for advanced
ecobrickers.
Project: For building modules with Ecobricks, you need bottles that are exactly the
same size and shape. For outdoor building projects, exact sameness is not so
important, so long as the volume is consistent (i.e. all 600ml bottles). Depending on the
 size of construction, you will need different size bottles. For example, small bottles
make good walls, and large bottles make good benches. See our Construction
Guide for more on the different ways Ecobricks are applied.

3. Get your stick ready

Ecobrickers like to call their packing stick, their magic wand. It makes the plastic
disapear! Having the right stick will make a big difference to your
ecobricking. Bamboo and wood make the best sticks. The size of the stick
depends on the type of bottle you go with. You want a stick with a diameter
roughly one third the width of a standard bottle opening– so about 6mm. You
want your stick to be about twice the height of your bottle, with a slightly rounded
tip. Avoid sharp cornered sticks as they can rupture the bottle and you can get
splinters and blisters on your hand.
Once you’ve got a stick with a good size and shape, you’re set! You can then
give it to others to copy and replicate. That’s how our GEA Trainers do their
workshops– more magic– one stick turns in to many!

4. No Metal, glasses, paper and bio

What you don’t put in your ecobrick is just as important as what you
do. Remember that we are putting plastic inside and ecobrick because it is toxic
to the environment. Metal, paper, cardboard, glass and biodegradables will not
poison the biosphere– so there is no need to put them into a bottle. Be
especially careful not to pack sharp metal or glass into an ecobrick– they can
rupture the sides and pose a danger for handling. There are other solutions for
these materials:
 Paper and cardboard can be safely burnt.
 Biodegradeables can be composted.
 Metal and glass can be recycled.

5. Start by adding a bottom color

The first piece of plastic you put in the bottle will give it a bottom color for
building. Choose a soft plastic with a solid color, then push it down to the bottom of your
ecobrick. Pack it in with your stick to fill the first 1-2cms of the bottle (you might want to
use a few plastics of the same color). Cellophane bags work great. Often schools or
companies will ask their ecobrickers to make ecobricks with their their community
colors. By giving your ecobrick bottom a color, you open up colorful design possibilities
for making modules or building walls.

6. Pack the bottle tight, mix plastics as you go

Now its time to pack away! Use your stick to push down the plastic around the inside of
the bottle– move in a circle pushing down along the sides. To maximize the density, its
good to mix soft, then hard plastic. Cut up big plastics into smaller pieces. The smaller
the pieces, the denser you’ll get! If its your first ecobrick, weigh occasionally to make
sure you are on track for your target minimum weight.
Did you push too hard? In rare cases, when using a sharp stick, a thin bottle or too
much lateral force, an ecobrick will rupture. Don’t panic! But, its best to start
again. Ruptured bottles will not last and can leak plastics. Cut the bottle open, remove
the plastic and start again. Cut bottles can be recycled.
BONUS: Once you get to the middle of your ecobrick, pack 2-3cms of lighter colored
plastic. By forming a center white ring of plastic you will later have a clear location to
label your Ecobrick with a permanent black marker.

7. Weigh your Ecobrick to ensure quality

Around the world, we’ve discovered that a good minimum density is 0.3 g/ml. This
means that a 600ml bottle will have a minimum weight of 200 grams and a 1500ml bottle
will have a minimum weight of 500 grams. Minimum density goals are essential to
ensure quality ecobricks. Quality ecobricks ensure good constructions, make the most
of the volume and energize the social spread of ecobricks.
 Weigh your ecobrick, and record the weight on a label.
Ecobricks that are too soft cannot be used for modules. Ecobricks that are too soft can
compromise structural constructions. By densely packing of the bottle, we make the
most of the bottle to trap plastic.
Finally, a good solid ecobrick is something you can be proud! When others see and
hold it, they understand immediately the transformation of loose plastic to building block
that has occured! Good quality ecobricks and ecobrick constructions are fundamentally
inspiring.

Ecobricks adalah pengolahan sampah plastik menjadi material ramah lingkungan. Ini
merupakan upaya untuk mengurangi menumpuknya sampah plastik. Material ramah
lingkungan tersebut dibuat dengan memasukkan dan memadatkan sampah plastik
yang sudah bersih dan kering ke dalam botol plastik bekas serta menggunakan
tongkat kecil untuk memadatkan sampah plastik ke botol tersebut.
Plastik merupakan molekul poliester yang sulit diurai oleh bumi secara alami. Oleh
karena itu dibutuhkan campur tangan manusia untuk mengolahnya. Cara mengolah
plastik yang terbaik adalah dengan cara mendaur ulangnya. Banyak cara untuk
mendaur ulang plastik. Salah satu caranya adalah dengan membuat plastik tersebut
menjadi ecobrick. Ecobrick adalah bata yang ramah lingkungan. Ecobrick dibuat
dengan cara memasukan plastik-plastik bekas kedalam botol bekas hingga padat
dan botol menjadi keras. Proses membuat ecobrick agar dapat dimanfaatkan
memang tidak sebentar. Dibutuhkan waktu dan materi plastik yang tidak sedikit.
Namun perlu proses untuk membuat itulah yang menjadi tantangan. Karya seni yang
berkelas tidak dapat dibuat dalam waktu yang sebentar. Oleh karena
itulah ecobrick adalah seni pengolahan plastik yang berkelas.
 Berikut ini hal-hal yang perlu diperhatikan pada pembuatan ecobrick di sekolah,
yakni:
1. Isi botol-botol hanya dengan benda-benda yang tidak dapat terurai secara biologis,
segala jenis plastik, busa, pembungkus, dan selofan.
2. Tidak memasukkan kertas, kaca/beling, dan logam tajam.
3. Gunakan tongkat bambu untuk mengisi botol dengan sebanyak mungkin benda-benda
yang tidak dapat diurai secara biologis.
4. Gunakan lembaran selofan lunak untuk mengisi sudut-sudut dasar botol dan kantung-
kantung udara.
5. Gunakan lembaran selofan berwarna untuk memberi warna bagian bawah brick.
6. Gunakan merek-merek botol tertentu untuk sekolah Anda. Hal ini akan mempermudah
pembuatan ecobrick.
7. Botol-botol kecil juga dapat digunakan, pilih botol yang paling banyak tersedia di
lingkungan sekolah.
Modul segi enam adalah hasil ecobrick yang termudah. Dibuat dari dempul
silikon sederhana, modul-modul ini tahan lama dan menjadi perabot dalam ruang
yang luar biasa praktis. Modul dapat digunakan sendiri-sendiri sebagai tempat
duduk atau dirangkai seperti lego untuk menghasilkan meja, tempat tidur,
bangku, dan banyak lagi. Modul-modul ini dapat dengan mudah ditumpuk dan
disimpan.