Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Share projects, share problems, share tips amongst each other.
Post Reply
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Spreckly »

Has anyone done or is doing this? I have had a quick look on the internet, and it seems such a worthwhile thing to do with used wrappers, etc.
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6527
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by lancashire lass »

Spreckly wrote: 05 Jan 2021, 17:43 Has anyone done or is doing this? I have had a quick look on the internet, and it seems such a worthwhile thing to do with used wrappers, etc.
I posted a reply in the Plastics topic in the Environment, Green & Ethical section about ecobricks

Scroll down the post and there are some links.

Back in 2019, I put a lot of effort in recycling and composting and then I realised that the only thing going into the black bin waste was ... plastic bags and wrappings. It got to the point where I wasn't putting enough waste into the bin for it to be worthwhile. Unfortunately I had to drop it last year.
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Spreckly »

Thanks LL. I have just re-read the former thread.

I still recycle a great deal, knickers, Ted's vest for cleaning cloths, and he used a lot of old cloths in the workshop. At present I have a large amount of plastic bottle tops waiting until I can see the lady who takes them on.

Someone remarked about a wooden scrubbing brush, well I only ever use that sort, as well as bristle sweeping brushes.

I see on the link list that crisp packets can be recycled. I wonder if the same goes for sinful chocolate biscuit wrappers.

I also wonder if yoghurt pots and the plastic lids can be cut up for the bottles.

Someone on facebook has been making thermal covers for rough sleepers out of crisp packets, it must take a very long time to collect them unless others are donating to the pile.

I have had to order a cheap bottle of pop (17p) with my grocery delivery in order to have a bottle to put the plastic into, I never drink pop etc.
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Spreckly »

I am still wading through my bottle of pop! The plastics are in a carrier bag just waiting to be squashed with the end of a wooden spoon!
Gwenoakes
Legendary Laner
Posts: 7325
Joined: 11 Aug 2007, 19:58

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Gwenoakes »

Never thought of recycling plastic like that, Spreckly, but some years ago was on a horsey forum and some people tried to make eco logs out of horse poo. They found the problem was that it took so long to dry out thoroughly and also space to store it was a problem and it seemed to peter out.
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Spreckly »

The pop bottle is empty, I poured half down the sink, it was yike* It has dried out, and I will give it until the weekend to begin putting the plastic in. At first I cleaned out bread bags, but had to hand them up inside for too long, so it is just the very dry plastic which I will cut into smaller pieces and put in the bottle.

A few years ago, we tried to make logs out of paper, they took an eternity to dry out, and burned up in a few minutes! Not heard of the horse poo one Gwen.
User avatar
lancashire lass
Legendary Laner
Posts: 6527
Joined: 28 Jun 2007, 15:17

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by lancashire lass »

Spreckly wrote: 19 Jan 2021, 13:48 The pop bottle is empty, I poured half down the sink, it was yike*
At 17p a bottle, I was surprised you hadn't thrown the contents away before now - personally I don't mind some of the cheap stuff (you get used to it until you switch to the more expensive stuff ... and have to re-educate the taste buds) Another source for empty bottles is to ask neighbours which I realise during this Covid period might not be that easy.

Filling bottles with plastic packaging actually takes a lot longer than you might think. When using the eco-brick for some construction project, the plastic has to be tightly packed in so that it is difficult to pinch in the middle of the bottle. I found that getting it tightly packed right from the start was important - the bobbly bottom in particular can be difficult (you pack one bobble and if some plastic covers a different bobble at the same time, as soon as you pack that, the first one unravels) and there's a bit of a trick to doing it. First, there are different types of plastic wrapping - imagine cellophane type and then there is a cling film or more stretchy type - and when mixed together as you fill the bottle, they seem to pack much better. It may take you a long time to fill a bottle but I felt positive that it wasn't ending up in landfill.
Spreckly wrote: 06 Jan 2021, 10:58 I also wonder if yoghurt pots and the plastic lids can be cut up for the bottles.
It depends on the plastic that it is made out of. In this Which? article on Big Brand packaging recyclability:
What we found: There are real heroes and villains in the world of yoghurt pots. They often look virtually identical, but what the pot is made of is very important for recyclability. Onken Cherry Yogurt (450g) is a good example. Its pot is made of polypropylene and its lid is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), so both are widely recyclable. Its inner peel-off lid is made of easily recyclable foil.

Change needed: Polystyrene is not easily recyclable, and is often used for yoghurts and other dairy items. We found that the pots of Muller Corner Banana Yogurt Chocolate Flakes (130g), Muller Light Banana Custard Yogurt (160g) and Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunks Chocolate Dessert (85g) are all made of polystyrene. The lids of the Muller Corner and the Cadbury dessert aren’t recyclable either; nor are they labelled to say as much. A Muller spokesperson said: ‘We’re working hard to realise our ambition that all our products will use packaging which is recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.’ Simon Ellin, CEO of The Recycling Association, told us: ‘There’s no excuse not to redesign polystyrene pots. It’s a simple change.’
I cut up the plastic blister pack after using the tablets and pop them in the Eco-brick bottle, but one problem is that after a while, my fingers hurt from cutting lots of them up. I left the foil backing on - life's too short peeling it off. Another source of plastic is ... the cigarette butt (they are made of plastic and are not biodegradable) but probably only for those who smoke would be interested to know this.
Gwenoakes wrote: 18 Jan 2021, 17:01 but some years ago was on a horsey forum and some people tried to make eco logs out of horse poo. They found the problem was that it took so long to dry out thoroughly and also space to store it was a problem and it seemed to peter out.
I suppose it is a lot like peat for open fires (such as in Ireland) - when first cut out of the peat field, they take a while to dry out. Burning peat is one of those "not green" so I wouldn't suggest it to replace other sources.
User avatar
Spreckly
Legendary Laner
Posts: 5826
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 14:21

Re: Making eco bricks out of plastic wrappers

Post by Spreckly »

I started filling my empty and dry lemonade bottle today. Quite hard going, but my carrier bag was getting full. Will see how it goes. Thank you for the info LL.
Post Reply