EcoBlocks is a social business that transforms waste plastic into life-changing household products for families in urban slums in India. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT.
My name is Guy, and I’ve spent a lot of time in developing countries. I’ve lived in West Africa, South and Central America, and Eastern Europe, but I’ve spent by far the most time in the largest democracy in the world…India. When I lived there, I used to go on walks through slums. I’d usually go to play pickup cricket games with kids, practice my Hindi, and buy pre-made meals for the week from a w
oman named Ambaji. Her food was to die for, and you couldn’t beat the price. One day she told me about an expansion she was planning for her small house. As it was, her floor plan was no more than 10x20”, and her addition was barely 10x8”. She boasted that it would only cost about 80 dollars, and would be made out of thatch to keep cool in the desert heat. At least two months’ food for a bunch of grass. And she said that was the friend rate. AND, she’d have to change her roof after a year or two. I asked her, why not metal? She told me it was more expensive, got too hot under the sun, and was deafening under rain. Clay and cement bricks were too expensive too, and broke easily. That conversation stuck with me, I couldn’t stop thinking that there must be a better, more affordable solution. It seemed too obvious, walking through the Indian streets alongside heaps of plastic waste, I thought, why not this stuff? Plastic is cheap, waterproof, lightweight, a good insulator, and virtually indestructible. I thought, why hasn’t this been done before?? After much searching, I found out it had, by a man named Amos Kambagira, in Uganda. You can see his video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7oUk10rKjE. After seeing this video, I contacted Amos, who is now an advisor for EcoBlocks. He inspired me to take this innovation to slums, along with a philosophy that values local feedback in my design approach. I came to realize that by mixing plastic with sand and adding heat, we could make a composite paste that can be easily customized. We can make a roof tile which is cheap, quiet in the rain, cool in the summer, and extremely durable. By targeting the slum market, I can be close to the source for materials. Most slums are near a huge dump, and many slum residents make a living by collecting, sorting, and cleaning trash for recycling—even though middlemen take much of the profit. By setting up shop at the source, I can offer these guys an attractive wage and hire their neighbors to be my production, marketing, and sales teams. Best of all, the benefit goes to the neighborhood—we clean up the trash, provide jobs, and build products that save money and improve homes. This idea has massive potential because it is so simple. The only materials we need are plastic and sand. People will be able to afford to live better, and mountains of plastic can be converted into useful products with no negative environmental impact in the process. The beauty is that tiles are only the beginning. I am planning on building appliances that deliver clean water, biogas cooking, and solar energy systems that are affordable and designed specifically for slums. I already have the network and connections to make this a reality in Jaipur and beyond. It is my pleasure to invite you to join our movement to build something truly amazing. With your support, we can combat poverty and pollution at once, creating a first-of-its-kind model that has the potential to be a global revolution. Guy Liechty, Founder and CEO
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