Panama : a plastic bottles village!

On an island in Panama, the world's first village made from plastic bottles is coming to life. The bottles are used as insulation for 120 houses.

The village's founder is Canadian national Robert Bezeau. Through this project, he aims to contribute to preserving a wonderful environment on the island of Colon located in the Caribbean. To build the houses, he collects plastic bottles and other materials that accumulate in local tips.

The first house that was built contributed to recycling over 10,000 plastic bottles. The result is impressive, as they provide particularly effective insulation: the temperature inside the houses is 17 degrees lower than outside, where temperatures can reach 35° C.
Reusing plastic bottles also enables houses to be built in record time and to keep costs down.
The houses' design does not seem very different to that of a conventional house, except in the way that the walls are built: the plastic bottles are inserted into a structure consisting of iron and steel bars, a little like a fence, which is then covered in concrete. These constructions are also earthquake-proof.

His project consists of three development phases, during which 120 houses will be built, alongside an environmental hut, communal gardens and mini parks. Robert Bezeau has gone one step further and launched a donation campaign on his website aimed at creating a research centre and a school in order to educate as many people as possible about this type of construction.

More information
http://www.plasticbottlevillage.com/english/