Workers at a recycling plant in central Mexico are turning five and a half tonnes of discarded plastic bottles and old toys every day into strong building materials, helping low-income families get better homes while keeping waste out of local dumps. The process, developed in 2013 by social enterprise EcoDom in Puebla state, turns melted plastic waste into strong wall and roofing panels. Within three years of starting operations, the company had built 500 rooms for municipal housing programmes and won public contracts to construct 300 complete homes across nearby towns. A report by media organisation Unreasonable Group explains how founder Carlos Daniel González created the company to tackle two problems at the same time: pollution and a serious shortage of affordable housing. González grew up in Puebla, where government figures and regional data cited by Unreasonable Group show that 64 per cent of people live in poverty. He saw the effects of unmanaged waste around him from an early age. “As a kid, I remember seeing all of the plastic and the contamination it caused, for us and for the animals,” said González. “I’ve always cared about the environment, so I decided I had to create and lead a solution.”
Turning waste into building panels
Mexico is the world’s 12th-largest consumer of plastic and produces more than five million tonnes of plastic waste each year. The World Bank estimates that 11.5 million Mexicans live in extreme poverty on $1.25 or less a day, leaving many people without safe and basic housing. “I live in a place with a lot of poverty and problems of marginalization,” said González. “Some people live in truly deplorable conditions, places you can’t even call houses. My vision is very clear. I have the conviction to help the most people I can have a dignified life by getting rid of extreme poverty, cleaning up my country at the same time.” To make the building panels, workers collect different types of used plastic and sort them to remove materials that could release toxic fumes when heated. A machine then cuts the selected plastic into small, even pieces before workers place them in industrial ovens heated to 350 degrees Celsius. After 30 minutes in the oven, the melted plastic is moved into a hydraulic press. The machine compresses the material and turns it into solid panels measuring about 2.4 metres long, 1.2 metres wide and 2.5 centimetres thick. The Puebla factory produces 120 panels a day, recycling tonnes of waste that would otherwise likely end up in landfills. A complete 40-square-metre home needs 80 panels and includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living area and a kitchen. “It only takes seven days to build a house that uses two tons of plastic,” said González. He also pointed to the strength and other benefits of the finished material, saying: “[A house] keeps you warm, the costs are low, it’s great for the environment, and it will last 100 years without falling apart. These are just some of our value propositions.”
Affordable homes through local governments
EcoDom does not work only as a private construction company. It supplies building panels directly to local governments and non-governmental organisations involved in subsidised social housing programmes. Prices recorded by Unreasonable Group show that roof panels cost 600 Mexican pesos ($33), exterior wall panels cost 650 pesos ($36), and interior panels cost 500 pesos ($28). Through government housing programmes, eligible low-income families pay about 5,000 pesos ($280) for a finished two-room home. The first major municipal project began in Huauchinango, Puebla, where the local government hired EcoDom to provide panels for 500 room extensions. Each extension covered about 135 square feet. After that project, officials in Chiconcuautla hired the company to build 150 separate homes measuring 460 square feet each. A second agreement of the same size was later signed with authorities in Pahuatlán for another 150 homes. The company’s work has also created a new supply chain that is changing how informal waste collectors earn money in the region.
Better pay for informal waste collectors
Informal waste collectors in Mexico have traditionally received very little money from commercial recycling companies. Some earn as little as 1.5 pesos, or six cents, for every kilogram of plastic they collect. To maintain a reliable supply of plastic for its factory, EcoDom created buying agreements that pay local collectors much more. By offering better prices per kilogram, the company has nearly doubled the earnings of some independent waste collectors in the region. The system also helps provide the factory with its daily supply of five and a half tonnes of plastic, keeping the material out of landfills and waterways. According to information cited by Unreasonable Group, less than five per cent of plastic made worldwide is recovered or kept out of landfills. Between 10 million and 20 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans each year, with some types of synthetic material taking up to 1,000 years to break down.
Taking the model beyond Puebla
After setting up its operations in Puebla, González said he wants to increase factory production, secure larger national contracts and eventually bring the building model to other countries facing similar housing shortages. “This has the potential to grow exponentially,” said González. “The problem of trash is huge in my country. In the whole world, there’s a ton of trash. In the next year, I want to grow the company ten-fold. First, we will concentrate in Mexico, but in 3-5 years, we want to go to other countries. There is poverty everywhere. The world is a house for everyone, and it’s worth it to fight for expanding this business. I will dedicate the rest of my life to this.” The company’s production records and agreements with local governments show how low-cost recycling technology, combined with public housing support, can turn waste into useful and long-lasting homes for communities.
