Recycled plastic bricks tackle homelessness

A Nigerian company is fighting homelessness with a cheap, modular construction system that uses bricks made from repurposed plastic waste

Spotted: Plastic waste is not only a problem in developed nations – it is a major problem globally, including in Africa, where it contaminates freshwater sources and has a big health impact.

Brickify is a Nigerian company working to solve this issue – and tackle homelessness – with one solution. The company collects plastic waste from families and individuals in exchange for cash. The waste is then used to manufacture plastic bricks for use as a construction material.

The bricks are made up of around 90 per cent of plastic waste, along with other materials that give them great strength and fire-resistant properties. The bricks interlock like Lego toys, so they can be used in construction without any additional materials. They are around 30 to 50 per cent cheaper than conventional bricks and will not decompose, so are very long-lasting.

Brickify has received small amounts of funding in the form of awards from Impactionable and the Social Innovations Competition. However, the company has also partnered with several state and national government agencies, corporate and non-profit organisations.

From using recycled plastic as a building material to turning waste plastic into non-toxic resin, tackling plastic waste is now the goal of a huge number of entrepreneurs as spotted by Springwise in the archive.

Written By: Lisa Magloff