Waste & RecyclingCompany
Conceptos Plásticos: Building Homes from Plastic Waste
by Conceptos Plásticos · HQ 🇨🇴 Colombia
0classroomsClassrooms built from recycled plastic bricks (Côte d'Ivoire, since 2019)as of 2024-05-06 · may be outdated
0tonnesPlastic waste converted into bricks (Côte d'Ivoire program)as of 2024-05-06 · may be outdated
0childrenChildren given new school infrastructureas of 2024-05-06 · may be outdated
Conceptos Plásticos, founded in Bogotá in 2010 by architect Oscar Méndez and engineer Isabel Cristina Gámez, converts collected plastic waste into interlocking construction blocks that can be assembled into houses, schools and clinics in days rather than months. Its partnership with UNICEF built a plastic-brick factory in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, that turns discarded plastic into classrooms across the country. The model also creates formal, paid income for waste pickers, mostly women, who previously collected plastic informally for meager pay.