With help from a couple of other Malvern Ecobrickers I now have enough ecobricks to build a small wall in my garden!
Photo by Alison Winters
Hence the need to research cob! Cob is a mix of clay, sand, water, and straw and can be used to build structures, using ecobricks as bricks essentially! The beauty of it is that, unlike cement, cob is very environmentally friendly but still relatively long-lasting. When the cob does eventually biodegrade, the ecobricks can be reused for other projects. Ecobricks are only safe to build with if they meet certain standards. The Global Ecobricking Alliance (GEA) is helping people all over the world make ecobricks to a high standard so they can be used for building projects. Find out more at www.gobrik.com
When Malvern Green Space asked me to train with GEA last September, I had no idea I’d be talking someone in Capetown about how to make cob eco benches 6 months later! Candice Mostert is educating people in South Africa about the dangers of burning plastic, which happens frequently as there’s no formal waste disposal service. Teaching people how to ecobrick provides an eco-friendly alternative and creates useful structures like this well:-
So, I’m all set to build my wall. It's great learning new skills and being able to pass them on to other people to help make something useful out of, what is essentially, a load of old rubbish! All I need now is some decent dry weather to get started….
コメント