In a remarkable demonstration of ingenuity and determination, Costa Rican mother Cindy Mora Abarca has secured a permanent home for herself and her son, Fabrizio, by utilizing an astonishing seven tonnes of recycled plastic. The innovative construction project, located in the Lámparas neighborhood of Alajuelita, near San José, highlights a sustainable solution to both housing shortages and plastic waste.
From Land Ownership to a Recycled Plastic Home
Mora Abarca spent nine years diligently saving to purchase a small plot of land. Despite this significant achievement, the financial hurdle of building a house remained. Her situation transformed through a collaborative effort involving Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble, local organization Urbarium, and recycled materials group Ekojunto.
The project commenced in April 2018, with the completed house being handed over to Mora Abarca and her son on May 26 of the same year. This swift construction timeline was made possible by the unique building materials.
Innovative Bioqueplas Blocks
The house's walls were constructed from approximately 7,000 kilograms of recycled plastic, processed into interlocking construction units known as Bioqueplas. These blocks are designed to fit together much like Lego pieces, streamlining the building process. Approximately 850 of these recycled plastic blocks formed the primary structure of the walls. Traditional construction materials were used for the foundation, roof, plumbing, electrical wiring, doors, and windows, ensuring a conventional and durable finish.
Once plastered and painted, the residence appears indistinguishable from any other modest home, effectively disguising its origin as a pioneering recycling initiative.
Community Collaboration and Environmental Impact
Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica played a crucial role, selecting Mora Abarca's family based on socioeconomic need and ensuring the property met all construction requirements. Urbarium coordinated the local implementation of the recycled plastic block system, while volunteers, primarily employees from Procter & Gamble, contributed over 800 combined hours of labor to the project.
This initiative was conceived to demonstrate how plastic waste can be diverted from landfills and waterways and repurposed into valuable construction material, simultaneously addressing the critical need for affordable housing. Urbarium claims its block system offers several benefits, including resistance to seismic forces, thermal and acoustic insulation, and protection against weather, with the blocks designed to comply with Costa Rica's 2010 seismic construction code.
For Cindy Mora Abarca, the environmental benefits are intertwined with a deeply personal victory: after years of struggle, she finally has a permanent and stable home where her son can grow, built from the very waste that often plagues communities.