In Bolivia, Designer Ingrid Vaca Diez is Building Homes for the Poor with Plastic Bottles

Ingrid Vaca Diez

CURATED BY KRISTIN KOWNACKY

Who knew our recycling bins are overflowing with materials that can be used for building? In Bolivia, designer Ingrid Vaca Diez is using plastic bottles filled with dirt and sand as bricks. While it may sound like a foreign concept to many Westerners, for families in need, it’s the perfect solution for affordable and sustainable housing alternatives.

FROM GOOD

In Bolivia, nearly 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, often in homes that are simple, one-room dirt shacks. There aren’t many options for well-designed, low-income housing. Ingrid Vaca Diez came up with an interesting solution to the problem: turning the ubiquitous plastic bottle from trash into a cheap building material…Continue Reading on GOOD

 

kristin kowlackyABOUT THE CURATOR

Kristin Kownacky is a junior at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where she is currently working towards a BA in journalism and international studies. It is her dream to travel the world, discovering hidden treasures and writing about each experience. Read her articles on her personal blog, Depart We Now.

Photo via Ingrid Vaca Diez Facebook

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