Turning Plastic into Bricks Can Help to Save Our Planet

It’s no secret that our planet is facing environmental catastrophe and the amount of plastic that is continually being produced by large-scale conglomerates is a huge contributing factor. In 2014, approximately 311 million tonnes of plastic were produced around the globe. Today, the mass of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California – often referred to as the “great Pacific garbage patch” – spans at least 1 million square kilometres (although its dimensions are continually morphing).

The Pacific garbage patch is made up of large and small items of broken-down micro plastics which are ingested by fish and interferes with the ocean’s food chain. It is estimated that – if things do not change – by 2050, plastic products could outnumber the number of fish in the sea.

Apart from companies reducing the amount of plastic they produce, one of the ways in which we can help save the planet is through innovation. Scientists, engineers, researchers and environmentalists are constantly looking at news ways to tackle ecological problems by re-using and recycling plastic. Like many others, Peter Lewis, a New Zealand-based engineer and inventor, wanted to give plastic a permanent purpose. And so he created a portable machine which turns plastic waste into non-toxic plastic bricks known as RePlast blocks.

Peter’s modular technology platform, ByFusion, converts all kinds of waste into an alternative building material that can be used to build infrastructure and houses, without any insulation. The company envisions a future where communities can upcycle plastic waste immediately – turning it into a readily-usable product that can benefit society and reduce the amount of plastic destroying ecosystems.

Watch the video below:

Learn more about ByFusion here.