How would you react of I say a schoolhouse used plastic bottles to construct walls? It would take time to sink in, isn’t it? But, this is exactly what has been done at the new bright orange schoolhouse in Granados, Guatemala. After feeling strongly about the plastic trash that she noticed everywhere in Guatemala and the fact that schools had classrooms with no walls, Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner decided to take up a project to change things forever.
Laura made up her mind to take up a project under which plastic trash would be used as construction material. Taking materials and labor from local businesses, her team initiated the work. The team collected plastic waste from their neighboring villages, in addition to their own. All the bottles were filled with plastic grocery bags, chip bags, and other waste, after which they were placed inside a metal fencing. To fill up the spaces between the fencing and the bottles trash was used.
After Laura and her team finished with this task, they covered the fences with three layers of cement. The bottles served as insulation, while the cement layers created the look and stability of any conventional wall. The beautiful orange wall incorporating the plastic bottles and trash constitute in making a perfect green school. As many as 6,000 plastic bottles and dedication of the team has resulted into an innovative school.
Via: Planetgreen