The

Vision
Ecobricks
Construction
Guide
An introduction to the
principles, theory and
techniques of building your
greenest visions with bot-
tles and ecobricks.

Jan 2017

1 1
v .0 Convergence
Release
 When plastics are littered,
burned or dumped, they poison
the Earth, Air, and Water.
When we save, segregate and
pack plastics into bottles, we
can make building blocks that
can be reused over and over
again. Together we can build
green spaces that enrich our
community and environment.

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This Guide is dedicated to our Children
and our Children’s Children...

The Principles…………………………4

Green Space Collaborations……………5

Sample Ecobrick Designs………………6

Building Basics…………………………7

Introducing Cob………………………8

Laying Ecobricks with Cob……………9

Making Cob……………………………10

Collaboration Time……………………11

Preparing the Soil……………………12

Planting Time…………………………13

HexBench Modular Furniture…………14

MD Lego Modules……………………15

Your Imagination is the Limit………16

Credits………………………………17

...and to All the Children of

All the Species for All Time.

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 The Principles

This guide book is the follow-up companion to the Vision

Ecobrick Guide which shows how a school, community or
household can mobilize to transform their waste into Eco-
bricks. Once ecobricking, tangible, simple, and practical
outputs are essential to keep the momentum going. In this
guide you’ll learn to do this and more!

Ecobricking is a new way of construction. You don’t have to hire a The Vision Ecobrick
Guide is free to
contractor do this stuff! There are three principles to bottle building: download at
www.Ecobricks.org

Caution!
1. Cradle to Cradle: Plan for the end of your construction and Using Cement to
build with Eco-
the next life of your Ecobricks. Ensure that every element can
bricks makes structures
return to nature or be recycled. that when it comes to its
end, cracks and ruptures
Ecobricks! This means
2. Collaboration: Ecobrick construction is powered by collabo- someone in the future
ration. Every element of the construction is simple enough for will have a big mess to
a child, and delegatable to an infinite amount of collaborators.
clean up.

3. Work with what you got: Use Locally Available Resources.

Improvisation is the name of the game with bottle building.

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 Green Space
Collaborations

So what are you going to make with your hundreds

of Ecobricks? Most likely your Ecobricks have
come from hundreds of people. Let’s design some-
thing they can all use and benefit from. Ecobricks
are ideal for making green spaces: gardens, play
parks, and what we like to call ’food forests’. Mak-
Permaculture is widely
ing something like this will enrich your community regarded as the sustaina-
for a long time to come. ble salvation of humani-
ty— and an essential re-
search topic for students.
Eating healthy food is one thing. Experiencing it is another.
Hands on learning to grow one’s own food is the most valu-
able skill we can impart to the next generation. Self-
sufficient personal and community growing is essential for
preserving the Earth’s biosphere for future generations.
Is it dirty around your
school or communi-
ty? Be sure to take pho-
Review the Visions that your learners have made on their
tos! A month after
Ecobricks. Find an open space and allow your students to starting Ecobricks com-
munities observe a dras-
visualize how they can realize their green visions. Sketch it tic difference! Soon it
out. Calculate how many Ecobricks, how much sand, ce- will be hard to remem-
ber how it once was.
ment , clay, compost, soil and what plants and trees you will
need. Invite and inspire the community with a bold vision! In Africa cow dung is
added to cob to en-
With a clear green space vision that serves all, everyone, chance durability, in
from the students to the staff to the teachers and local politi- Missouri USA, horse
hair was used.
cians, will unite to make it happen.
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6
 Building
Basics

 Use one brand or size of bottle at a time. 1.5L bottles make good benches.
600ml bottles make good raised garden beds. Smaller bottles make good walls.
Using the same size of bottle per construction will keep things neat, strong and
will minimize mortar.
 Make sure your Ecobricks are actually ready: use only solidly packed bottles.
Ecobricks that have been damaged by rats or don’t look so pretty, use for you
bottom layer cement foundation.
 Simple Coke bottle bench constructions don’t require steel bars. For walls
over 5 layers high consider laying steel bars horizontally.
 Store Ecobricks by stacking against a wall. Segregate by color. Avoid keeping
in sacks to prevent rat damage.
 Ecobricks are laid horizontally either quadratically or hexagonally. Choose
the pattern that best meets your intention:

Some schools have their

students make bricks in
the colors of their com-
munity's ancestral attire;
others in the colors of
the national
flag. Benches and walls
can be then made using
local patterns and colors.

Did you know that

Ecobricks float?
Plastic is less
dense than water, thus
even when punctured Eco-
bricks are extremely buoy-
ant. So, who will build the
first Ecobrick boat?

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 Introducing
Cob
The process of Ecobrick building is easy, in-
expensive and fun. Using the ancient clay EcoBricks are laid horizon-
building technique of the Spanish and Igo- tally in cob mortar. The re-
sult is three almost three
rots we can make cob mortar. Even elemen- times as thick as regular ce-
tary students can do the work using local or- ment block walls and, like
centuries old Spanish con-
ganic resources. Because benches and play-
structions— solid. The mor-
grounds are non-structural it is a no-risk ex- tar must cover all the eco-
perience to learn cob building techniques. brick, with the optional ex-
ception of the cap’s surface
and bottom flower of the
Cob is like an organic cement. Also known as ado- Ecobrick. Thus protected
be, is an ancient building material used for millen- from UV rays and the ele-
ments the brick will last a
nia around the world to build enduring, livable and
long long time.
beautiful structures. It is made by mixing clay, sand
and straw (or rice husks, or any other strong stringy
binder). The red and beige clay earth found
throughout the Cordilleras is ideal for cob!
The making and shipping of cement
creates 8% of the world’s green
We use Cob as the mortar between Ecobricks. Cob house gas emissions. Normal ce-
will last centuries, yet it will still crumble and re- ment constructions will stand for
only 80-100 years. Various adobe/
lease the ecobricks intact when destroyed. This is cob constructions have stood for
thousands of years.
almost impossible with cement which crumbles
Remember: Real solutions come
hard and sharp— Ecobricks will rupture before from a higher consciousness than
the consciousness that caused the
they can be extracted and one of our descendants
problem in the first place.
will have an even bigger mess to clean up.

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Laying Ecobricks with Cob Mortar

EcoBricks.org

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 Making Cob
Organic Binders
Many types of stringy
Cob mixes, ratios and recipes will vary dramati- and dried organic ma-
cally from one region to another depending on terials can be used as
the earth and locally available ingredients. binders in cob to in-
crease tensile strength.
Making cob is a balance between two extremes:  Rice straw/stalks
Raw clay will crack when dried. Too much sand  Rice hull or long
will crumble away. The right mixture of cob will saw dust
 Cocoquire or coco
not crack or crumble!
fibers
 Wheat Hay/Straw
Simple Cob  Cogon grass
For a simple two or three layer bench the
ratio is not so important. Some cracking or
crumbling will be compensated for by
your outside layer of cement. This
will provide the longterm structur-
al stability and waterproofing. Go
with what is available— in some
places sand is easy to come by in
others clay. You can safely use
anywhere from 4:1 sand and clay
to 1:4 sand and clay.

Advanced Cob
Make some pancakes! That’ right, mix small
quantities of cob with varying ratios of your
local sand and clay (don’t bother with the
binder for this). Make pancakes of about Cob Balling: The Last Mix
3cm by 15cm. Let them dry in the sun and Having your team make cob balls is a
out of the rain. After two or three days re- great way to ensure a good final mix of
view your pancakes. Choose the ratio your ingredients (and put lots of eager
that doesn’t crumble or crack and which helpers to use!). It not only involves
is hardest to crack. everyone in the process, but also en-
sures well-mixed, precompacted and
handy balls for the mortaring team.

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Collaboration Time!

Ecobrick Construction is designed to be powered by full participation

collaboration. Everyone— from kids to adults to elders can partici-
pate. There are five categories of work. Delegate to teams. Each cat-
egory is divisible to small micro-activities that just about anyone can
do simultaneously.

Preliminary Design Student Leaders, YESO, Student Government

Making Ecobricks The whole community

Foundation Digging Foundation shadow Student Leaders involved in the design

Gathering and laying stones Young students

Mixing Foundation cement (8:1) Older students

Laying the Foundation cement (10cm) Anyone

Cob Mixing the cob by feet Young students, anyone!

Hand packing Cob balls Young students

Mortaring Laying the Ecobrick layers Student Leaders

Laying the cob on the Ecobricks Older students

Pounding cob even between bricks Young students

Finishing Breaking tiles to even bits Anyone

Creating the Tile Pattern on a board A team of older students

Mixing Fine Cement (6:1) Older students

Laying final cement layer Older students, parents, teachers

Laying tile pattern into cement Tile Team

Sponge cleaning of tiles and ecobricks Young students, anyone

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 Prepare the Soil

Soil Enrichers
There are many things
Just as important as building your garden is the that can be added to the
preparation of the soil for your garden. You can soil to enrich it for
begin long before you start laying Ecobricks. plants. IMO will help
beak down all of these to
Forget the fertilizer— nature is a much better make their nutrient
friend. Begin a compost pit. Begin collecting available to your plants.
manure, egg shells and ash.  Chicken, Pig Manure
 Composted organics
 Egg shells
Soil that is rich and plant friendly is soil that is alive with
 IMO
micro-organisms. One of the most valuable ways to en-  Ash from burned pa-
rich your soil is by cultivating your own batch of indige- paper/cardboard
nous micro-organisms. And its easy and free!

Making Your Mother IMO

Set out plate of rice in forest , garden or
fresh air. Cover so that it won’t be eaten
by animals , nor get wet, but will be ex- Caution! Do
posed to the air and collect local micro- not use the soil
organisms. Let sit for two or three days. from trash burn pits
Bring inside. Allow to sit for two weeks.. for your garden! This soil
Collect the molds from the rice. Place will actually make your
into a 1.5L cut coke bottle. Fill half way plants grow strong, but,
with water. Place four tablespoons of molasses, moscovado or
the plants will absorb the
brown sugar (the darker the sugar the better).
toxic molecules from the
Cover bottle top with paper and an elastic (to
keep the flies out, but to allow it to breathe.). Al- plastics, batteries, PVC
low to sit for another week. that are poisonous to us.

Using your IMO

Take a table spoon from your mother IMO. Add
it to a litre of water. Shake! Sprinkle or spray on
your compost, manured soil. Replenish your
mother IMO every once and a while with water
and sugar.

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 Planting Time

Malnourishment is major issue in schools. Due to diets of Easy Nutrient Rich Edible Plants
low-nutrient, high sugar foods, many students show a  Herbs like Stevia, Basil and
Mint
range of health issues from tooth decay to diabetes that  Blackberries, rasberries,
prevents them from concentrating in school. By planting strawberries
a range of edible, fruit, or leafy plants and herbs your gar-  Cherry tomatoes, sweet
den can be munched on students. Raw fruits, leaves, and peppers,
berries picked fresh are like vitamin pills– but way better!  Fruit trees: Mango, guava,
guyobano, etc.
Herbs provide an easy and super healthy source of teas
and garnishing for staff.

Herb or Fruit Tree Circular Bench

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Construction Destruction
HexBench Modules

Ecobricks should never be left

HexBench modules are the easiest Ecobrick output. Made outside exposed to the sun. UV
rays will gradually photode-
with simple silicone sealant, they are durable, and tremen-
grade the plastic bottle. After
dously practical indoor furniture. Modules can be used in- only two or three years, the
brittle bottle will crack and
dividually as seats or combined like LEGO to create tables, burst, releasing all our hard
beds, benches and more. packed plastic!

Did you know? A Coke

bottle left out in the Sa-
hara desert sun will pho-
todegrade into a crumbled pile
of plastic particcles in only one
month!

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 MD Lego Modules

Imagine your own life-size lego blocks that can

be used to build almost anything within
minutes.

Maier-Dieleman Modules are a geometric configuration of

same-brand bottles to make a lego-like module. Known
as “MD Legos” for short, these modules can be arranged
and interlocked horizontally and vertically. These life size
lego bricks allow just about anyone to build walls and tow-
ers, castles and rocket ships, and more, within
minutes. Ideal for schools and play spaces, MD’s make for
a whole new world of interactive community play. Stu-
dents get hands-on feel for building and team work like
never before.

Ecobrickers around the world are also experimenting with

making stand alone sculptures, gardens and even build-
ings with MD modules. You don’t have to use ecobricks,
the MD geometrical formula works for glass bottles as
well.

MD modules were invented by GEA principal Russell

Maier with the help of Andrew Dieleman.

To create an MD module, arrange 16 Ecobricks together in

the pattern shown above. We recommend the use of sili-
cone sealant applied with a caulking gun to join plastic or
glass bottles. Use a support half-cut bottle is used to sus-
pend the peg bottle during the module make process.

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 Your Imagination
is the Limit
With a little imagination, Ecobricks can be used for almost anything

Ecobricks can be connected using rubber tire bands, silicone, cob, and cement* to build everything from fur-
niture, to gardens, to engineered structures. We’ve even seen them used as baseball bats and bowling
pins. Here are some other ways the ecobricks are being used around the world.

EcoBlocks
Ecobrickers in South Africa have come up with a way to build modular units with Eco-
bricks. An innovation by Johanesburg architect and ecobricker Ian Domisse, these
simple modules just require a plywood sheet to hold them together.

 Pros: Great for indoor structures, for concerts or fairs in minutes. Can be taken
apart and stored fast.
 Cons: Cannot be directly exposed to the elements but can be plastered concealed
with boarding material.

Pura Vida Atlan Construction Method

A combination of traditional post and beam concrete structure and ecobricks has
been developed by the Pura Vida Atlan Ecobrick movement in Guatemala. Chick-
en wire is used between two concrete beams to allow the vertical stacking of eco-
bricks. Once the wall space has been filled with ecobricks, the wire is plastered
over with cement. The construction method is tested and endorsed by Designers
Without Borders, NorskForm, and INDIS. HugItForward uses this method to
build schools that are subsidized by volunteer ecotourism.

 Pros: A great way to put lots of Ecobricks to use to build a community struc-
ture. A hybrid method between traditional construction and Ecobricks. Eco-
bricks can be recycled when the construction comes to its end. Did you know that
 Cons: Uses cement, steels, and non-local materials. Results in square struc- Ecobricks float incred-
tures. Requires outside funding. ibly well? We can’t
wait to see the first Ecobrick
More applications boats and islands. Have you
From baseball bats to boats, the sky is the limit on what you can use Ecobricks seen or developed useful ap-
for! plications?

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 The Vision Ecobrick Guide began in the humble villages of the Cordilleras in the Northern
Philippines where it is quite clear that plastic does not fit with the rivers, forests and
fields. The guide was made possible by a small group of basureros— teachers, administra-
tors, principals and artists passionate about keeping our water, earth, air, and bodies clean
and vibrant. We all pack Ecobricks in our homes and we are joyful to see the end to the
burning and dumping of what was once known as ‘trash’.

Principals
Russell Maier is a regenerative Irene Angway is a teacher
designer based in Sabangan, Mt. turned administrator
Province, Philippines. He has turned basurera. She is cur-
been deeply inspired by the rently the Indigenous Peo-
deep sustainability of the Igorot ples Education Coordinator
people while living in their land. of Mt. Prov.

Characters Illustrations
Mr. Ecobrick & Family are de- Joseph Stodgel founded the
signed by intrepid Manila Il- Trash to Treasure festivals
lustrator El Tiburon Grande. in South Africa and directs
He is most passionate about Upcycle Santa Fe. He is pas-
projects that deal with sustain- sionate about building com-
ability and helps communities. munity wealth through the
alchemy of ‘trash’.

Translate for your region! Please share what you make!

Does your community still have trash? We are Inspire the world! Have you made something
happy to help you customize the VEB Guide for awesome with Ecobricks? Whether it’s the
your area and language! Our team can set you smallest bench or the first Ecobrick sail boat,
up with the VEB Guide source files for transla- you can help inspire others to transform their
tion and region contextualization. Contact us at pollution in to solution. Please share it on
vision@Ecobricks.org www.Facebook.com/ecobricks

This booklet was made possible

through people and passion— no governments, NGOs, or
corporations were involved in its design.

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 “A problem
cannot be solved
by the same
consciousness
that generated it.”
-Albert Einstein

Join the Open Source crafting the Vision Ecobrick

Guides by viting Ecobricks.org Download our
guides free. Contribute your feedback and im-
provements to the guide. Post your Ecobrick
creations. Inspire the world!

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0

Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/deed.en_US.
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