Villagers in Philippines turn their plastic waste into bricks.

http://reuters.viewdle.com/video?vid=SG014-CHINA-HAIRBOOTCAMP-1180930883.mpg&pid=93b27f47fba837b7078371efc9fbbe27

Transcript:

Environment-conscious villagers recycle plastic waste to produce bricks for construction. SHOWS: (ASIA) RIZAL PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES (MAY 28, 2007) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) 1. RECYCLING FACILITY 2. MEN SEPARATING PLASTIC WASTE 3. MAN OPERATING A "RESIDUAL PULVERIZER" MACHINE. 4. WASTE PLASTIC FED INTO THE RESIDUAL PULVERIZER 5. MORE OF PULVERIZER BEING OPERATED 6. VARIOUS OF SHREDDED PLASTIC BITS 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) JOHN SAN JOSE, VILLAGE CHIEF, SAYING: "Burnt plastic is bad for our system. What we do with it is we grind it and make them into hollow blocks." 8. MEN SHOVELING BRICK MIX INTO A MOLD 9. MOLD BEING FILLED WITH BRICK MIX 10. BRICKS BEING DRIED 11. CLOSE UP OF MOLD LIFTED TO SHOW FRESHLY MADE BRICKS 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) BRIAN AREVALO, EARTH MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY MANAGER, SAYING: "We have to grind the bulks of plastic so the volume shrinks. And then we use it as a raw material to make hollow blocks." 13. MAN POURING SHREDDED PLASTIC INTO MIXTURE OF WATER, SAND AND CEMENT 14. SHREDDED PLASTIC POURED TO THE MIX 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) BRIAN AREVALO, EARTH MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY MANAGER, SAYING: "With this technology we can reduce garbage by 75 percent. That means it's a five-year solution, and now we have 20 years to think of an ultimate solution to garbage." 16. WASTE PLASTIC AND BRICKS STORY: In Rizal province, around 35 kilometres away from Manila, residents have found a new way of recycling their plastic waste to make bricks. The town of Teresa used to accumulate around three tonnes of waste a week such as styrofoam, plastic and discarded clothing items. A non-biodegradable waste material, plastic takes about 30 to 40 years to disintegrate. While other cities resort to burning their garbage including plastic, residents of Teresa not only recycle the waste but have also discovered a new use for it. "Burnt plastic is bad for our system. What we do with it is we grind it and make them into hollow blocks," said village chief John San Jose. The process of creating hollow blocks, or bricks, from plastic involves pulverising the plastic, then mixing it with gravel. Teresa has only been using the technology for less than one year, and the bricks have yet to be tested by the public. "We have to grind the bulks of plastic so the volume shrinks. And then we use it as a raw material to make hollow blocks," said Brian Arevalo, inventor of the technology and manager of Earth Management and Recycling Technology. The bricks made with plastic are non-load bearing and are only recommendable for constructing fences, balusters or plant boxes. Slightly less expensive than regular hollow blocks, they have been ordered by some local residents who don't only find them more economical but also support the environmental cause behind the idea. "With this technology we can reduce garbage by 75 percent. That means it's a five-year solution, and now we have 20 years to think of an ultimate solution to garbage," said Arevalo. Arevalo's group has long offered the pulverising technology to various local governments, but only Teresa has taken it up. Now, two more municipalities are interested to see how they can re-use their non-biodegradable waste.