From Recycled Plastic to a Family Home: Costa Rican Mother’s Nine-Year Journey

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica — After nine years of saving to secure a piece of land, a Costa Rican mother has finally achieved her dream of owning a permanent home—one built partly from thousands of kilograms of recycled plastic.

Cindy Mora Abarca spent years saving to buy land in the Lámparas neighbourhood of Alajuelita, near San José, hoping to build a home for herself and her six-year-old son, Fabrizio.

She eventually acquired the land through a loan but could not afford to build a house. Her fortunes changed when she became part of a housing initiative involving Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble, Urbarium and recycling organisation Ekojunto.

The partners constructed the house using interlocking blocks made largely from recycled plastic. About seven tonnes of discarded plastic were incorporated into the building materials, giving waste that might otherwise have ended up in landfills or waterways a new purpose.

Construction began in April 2018, and the completed house was handed over to Mora and her son on May 26, with the project taking about two months.

The initiative demonstrated how innovative recycling solutions can be combined with affordable housing to tackle both plastic pollution and the shortage of safe, decent homes.

For Mora, the project was much more than an environmental initiative. After nearly a decade of saving and struggling to secure a place for her family, it finally gave her and her son a home of their own.

The project has since been cited as an example of how discarded materials can be transformed into useful construction products while helping families who cannot easily afford conventional housing.

Source: The Times of India