Renewable Revolution

AG, you should enjoy this one. What a terrific idea.


By Daisy Hernandez
Jun 27, 2019

This House Is Made from 600,000 Recycled Plastic Water Bottles

But you'd never know by looking at it.

German and Saulnier shredded and heated the water bottles to form plastic pellets and placed them into a hopper, where they were treated with gases that melted them into a foam. When cooled, the foam becomes solid and is rot- and mildew-resistant. The builders then used the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) panels to create the 5.9-inch-thick walls of the green home.

Besides the fact that the panels utilize plastic that might've otherwise ended up in a landfill or the ocean, they're able to withstand tough weather conditions, too.

German and Saulnier sent a sample panel for endurance testing to Mississauga, Ontario and discovered it could stand firm against against 326-mph winds— two times as strong as a category 5 hurricane. The results are especially impressive considering the panels are lightweight and the wind tunnel reached its max force without being able to cause damage to the test panel.

The hardened foam is covered by a fiberglass skin along both the interior and exterior of the home, and UV paint was used to protect the material from sunlight.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a28209163/recycled-water-bottle-house/