Out & About Spring 2019

Out&About feature

What is eco-bricking

Taken from the leaflet given out by Hampstead Norreys Community Shop

Eco-bricking is a way of removing single-use waste plastic from the environment. Plastic bottles are filled with waste plastic that can’t otherwise be recycled. The bricks are then used as building blocks.

How do you make an eco-brick?

What to do when complete Check your brick is at least the minimum weight. If not, try and get more in – one trick is to roll the brick under your foot as that helps to compress the plastic. If in difficulty, email hncshop@ yahoo.co.uk for help. Writing on your eco-brick Use a permanent marker and write directly on the brick: your name, the date completed and the weight of the brick. If you wish, add a brief note to the generations of the future . . . what you hope for, or what you regret ecologically... Logging your eco-brick Logging your eco-brick keeps a record of all the bricks made across the world. Go to www.gobrik.com and register under whatever scheme you are involve in eg Hampstead Norreys – in this instance they advise choose mixed for base colour, normal

First, collect your plastic – anything plastic that can’t be recycled, eg plastic trays or other containers, cellophane, straws, crisp packets, sweet wrappers, etc. Make sure they are clean and dry or microbes could grow inside the eco-brick (ugh). Next, choose your plastic bottle: 500ml, 1 litre, 1.5 litres, 2 litres – all can be used,

afraid to experiment, but generally smaller is better especially when you are starting.) Drop in the plastic and use your stick to push it down, moving in a circle pushing down along the sides. Mix layers of soft and hard plastic and weigh your brick occasionally to check you are on track to meet your (or rather your bottle’s) target weight

but it is a good idea to start with a small bottle as you learn how to fill it really full. Make sure it is clean and dry. Please don’t buy a bottle purely for eco- bricking. Ask around your local community for spares, or better still find them thrown away in fields or lanes. Then get your pushing stick ready. You need something that is longer than your bottle and not too thick – it needs to fit easily inside. At Hampstead Norreys Community Shop workshops they use dowelling donated by Barlows of Hermitage. For small bottles, a wooden spoon will work. Cut your plastic – cutting soft plastic to about 10cm by 5cm is fine, but hard plastic need to be smaller, about 1cm by 2cm. (This is not an exact science: don’t be

Minimum weights when complete 500ml bottle: 167 grams 1 litre bottle: 333 grams 1.5 litre bottle: 500 grams 2 litre bottle: 666 grams

Children will be sitting or running on the snake bench so the bricks need to be very firm – that’s why they are called bricks. Reaching target weight is not too difficult provided you make sure you pack the plastic in really firmly at the base – that provides a solid layer for you to push at as you pack more and more into the brick. Sorry, but underweight bottles cannot be accepted.

for type of brick and ignore ‘community project’ as it will automatically be attributed to us.

Help available via hncshop@yahoo.co.uk • Images courtesy of www.ecobricks.org and www.facebook.com/ecobricks UK

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