Ecobricks are used in some countries with the weather conditions similar to Vietnam's

Ecobricks are used in other countries with weather conditions similar to Vietnam’s, such as the Philippines and Indonesia. However, there has been no research work on the issue. 

The ecobricks plan kicked off in late January. Les Pas Vert, which collects information from extracurricular activities such as workshops and exhibitions, reported that the number of ecobrick makers has been increasing.

Les Pas Verts belongs to Water Wise Vietnam, an environmental organization for young people sponsored by the US Embassy. It is the developer of the project titled ‘Brick to the Future’ which calls on the public to take action immediately for the future with no plastic waste.

Le Phuong Tra, chair of Les Pas Verts, said the materials to make ecobricks need to be selective. They can include unbroken bottles (500ml - 1.5l bottle), soft or solid plastic bags, foam boxes, disposable plastic cups, packaging, plastic wrap and straw. 

In order to create hard bricks, without breakage and prevent mould, the materials must be dry and clean.

The bricks are made by opening the lid of bottle and stuffing it with materials such as plastic bags, foam boxes, disposable plastic cups, packaging, plastic coated paper and straw. 

It requires skills to insert the materials into bottles. It is necessary to cut large and hard materials, including plastic bags and packaging, into small pieces.

A long chopstick or stick is needed to stuff and squeeze the materials into the bottle. There should be soft materials at the bottom of the bottle, which is the most feasible way to prevent air from falling into the plastic bottle.

The bottle will weigh 0.35 times higher than the bottle’s capacity in ml. For example, a 500 ml bottle has the minimum weight of 180 gr.

Many small ecobricks, when attached, will create big blocks which can be used for many purposes, including chairs, tables, and bookcases. They can also be used to make larger works such as flower beds, or houses in the future.

A report released in 2015 showed that Vietnam ranked fourth among five countries which have the biggest volume of plastic waste.

In HCMC, about 250,000 tons of plastic waste is generated every year, of which, 48,000 tons, or 19.2 percent, are buried at landfills, while the other 200,000 tons are either recycled or discharged directly into the environment.

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