Solutions

submitted by Albert Gomez

www.wasterecyclingnews.com - June 5, 2012 - by Jessica Holbrook, Plastics News

Major corporations are teaming up to accelerate the development of PET made entirely from plant-based sources.

Coca-Cola Co., Ford Motor Co., H.J. Heinz Co., Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. have formed the Plant PET Technology Collaborative, a group aimed at supporting the development and use of plant-based PET material and fibers.

According to a news release, the collaborative will support new technologies and focus on researching and developing commercial solutions for plant-based PET. The collaborative also will work to develop common practices and standards for using plant-based plastics, including life-cycle analyses and universal terminology.

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www.echale.com.mx - June 4, 2012                                  (photo courtesy of viviendaechale.blogspot.com)

Ecoblock International offers families the opportunity to build their house through a self-production and self-construction program aided by means of its ¡Échale! A tu casa program. This program makes use of all the benefits of stabilized adobe creating a thermal, acoustic and ecological home that meets the needs of every family, with a competitive edge in the sector of aided self-construction.

Introduction to the Affordability (originally Bertaud) Model
Jerry Erbach – June 2012

“Meeting the basic human need for shelter is a key component of community resilience, both in the immediate response to a disaster event, as well as long-term recovery and an eventual return to normal economic functionality. The availability of housing that is affordable is a crucial factor, underlying many other community functions, as people must have a stable place to live to be active participants in the local economy as workers or consumers, to send their children to school and to engage in civic activity.” (from “Roadmap to Enhanced Community Resilience – Availability of Housing that is Affordable” – Community and Regional Resilience Institute and City of Gulfpoint; February 2009) 

http://cehi.org.lc - Karen Alleyne - June 1, 2012

ABSTRACT

This project is based on the development, testing and evaluation of lightweight aggregate
cementitious products utilizing shredded Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) from shredded plastic bottles and crates. The innovation for this project is
twofold. Firstly, thousands of PET and HDPE plastic materials, particularly plastic bottles, are
improperly disposed of each day resulting in large volumes of plastic waste entering and
remaining in the natural environment. This has become a solid waste management challenge in
Guyana since it is estimated that over 10,000 tonnes of waste plastic are discarded yearly, in
Georgetown alone. Secondly, efficient means of re-using waste plastic, particularly PET and
HDPE must be found since in developing countries it may not be economically viable based on
the volumes of plastic produced, to recycle.

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