{"id":17878,"date":"2026-08-29T13:38:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T13:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=17878"},"modified":"2026-08-29T13:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T13:38:38","slug":"a-mexican-entrepreneur-turned-discarded-plastic-into-low-cost-homes-for-families-in-poverty-each-430-460-sq-ft-house-used-2-tonnes-of-waste-took-7-days-to-build-and-cost-families-about-280","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=17878","title":{"rendered":"A Mexican entrepreneur turned discarded plastic into low-cost homes for families in poverty; each 430-460 sq ft house used 2 tonnes of waste, took 7 days to build and cost families about $280"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133612741,imgsize-214436,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg\" alt=\"A Mexican entrepreneur turned discarded plastic into low-cost homes for families in poverty; each 430-460 sq ft house used 2 tonnes of waste, took 7 days to build and cost families about $280\" title=\"An EcoDom prototype house built using its plastic panels.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"An EcoDom prototype house built using its plastic panels.\">An EcoDom prototype house built using its plastic panels.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Plastic production has increased exponentially over the last few decades. A 2017 study published in Science Advances estimated that 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally since large-scale production began.<!-- --> Only a tiny fraction has been recycled, with huge amounts accumulating in landfills, ecosystems and waterways. Mexico has a big plastic problem of its own. The country consumes hundreds of thousands of tons of PET every year and is one of the largest consumers of bottled water and soft drinks in the world. Mexico has made progress in recycling, too. In the last 15 years, PET collection and recycling rates have risen substantially, proving how awareness can be translated into concrete action. <!-- -->An example of this approach is Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s EcoDom project. According to a news report by Eleconomista website, Gonz\u00e1lez was raised in the mountains of Puebla, a region rife with poverty and little access to proper housing. His experiences helped shape his interest in finding solutions that can solve both housing needs and plastic pollution. In 2013 he created the model which would be the basis of EcoDom. The company doesn\u2019t see plastic as waste, but as a potential construction resource. Its raw materials are PET, as well as high-density polyethylene, polypropylene and ABS plastics found in products ranging from containers and buckets to toys and bags. EcoDom collects plastic from small businesses, independent collectors and organized collection campaigns. The material is sorted, processed and ground into flakes, then placed into molds, heated and pressed into construction components.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Recycling for building materials<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The report highlights that they produce materials for structural walls, slabs, mezzanines and thermal roofing systems. <!-- -->Gonz\u00e1lez says each wall requires about six kilograms of processed plastic. The system provides an alternative to traditional masonry, while reducing the amount of plastic that enters the environment. The company\u2019s model combines commercial activity with a social mission. It earns revenue by selling construction materials, offering construction services and building housing for people who cannot afford it.<!-- --> Some of the revenues go toward social programs, like helping to subsidize homes for families that otherwise would struggle to pay for them.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Homes affordable for low-income families<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The company's figures state that complete homes of about 42 square meters can be provided for roughly 5,000 Mexican pesos, or about $280.\" msid=\"133612750\" imgsize=\"867833\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"The company's figures state that complete homes of about 42 square meters can be provided for roughly 5,000 Mexican pesos, or about $280.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-867833,msid-133612750\/the-companys-figures-state-that-complete-homes-of-about-42-square-meters-can-be-provided-for-roughly-5000-mexican-pesos-or-about-280.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The company&#8217;s figures state that complete homes of about 42 square meters can be provided for roughly 5,000 Mexican pesos, or about $280.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>EcoDom\u2019s subsidized housing model is specifically designed to ensure affordability for low-income households. The company&#8217;s figures state that complete homes of about 42 square meters can be provided for roughly 5,000 Mexican pesos, or about $280. Single-bedroom buildings and other smaller units can be much cheaper. <!-- -->Families can also contribute labor, making the model more accessible for those with limited cash.<!-- --> The homes are designed to be constructed far quicker than traditional buildings. A house built with the system is said to be finished in a week, and the company says its materials can be more resistant to some loads than traditional masonry.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A soial mission beyond building<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The work of EcoDom has gone beyond the sale of houses. The company has also started giving houses to families in need. <!-- -->It has already sold two homes, given away five homes and three bedrooms and is seeking more partnerships to provide more housing. One possible collaboration is with the Universidad Cuauht\u00e9moc de Puebla.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>The project has also attracted attention internationally. Gonz\u00e1lez said that companies and organizations from India, Canada, France, Brazil, South Africa, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic have shown interest in the technology.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Expanding on the idea<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>The investment to develop the business is more than eight million Mexican pesos. Now Gonz\u00e1lez is looking at franchising EcoDom and expanding the concept to communities beyond Puebla. The firm is also gearing up for a project to build 250 houses in Puebla, with plans to provide materials and training for at least part of the development. The premise of EcoDom is simple: waste does not necessarily have to stay waste. Gonz\u00e1lez\u2019s model aims to tackle two enduring problems at once \u2013 plastic pollution and the lack of good quality, affordable housing \u2013 through the combination of recycling and affordable construction.<!-- --> If scaled up successfully, such approaches could show how discarded materials can be used in practical solutions for communities, while giving plastic waste a second life.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Images Courtesy: Unreasonable Group and EcoDom<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/rest-of-world\/a-mexican-entrepreneur-turned-discarded-plastic-into-low-cost-homes-for-families-in-poverty-each-430-460-sq-ft-house-used-2-tonnes-of-waste-took-7-days-to-build-and-cost-families-about-280\/articleshow\/133612650.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An EcoDom prototype house built using its plastic panels. Plastic production has increased exponentially over the last few decades. A 2017 study published in Science Advances estimated that 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally since large-scale production began. Only a tiny fraction has been recycled, with huge amounts accumulating in landfills, ecosystems [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"An EcoDom prototype house built using its plastic panels. Plastic production has increased exponentially over the last few decades. A 2017 study published in Science Advances estimated that 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced globally since large-scale production began. Only a tiny fraction has been recycled, with huge amounts accumulating in landfills, ecosystems [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/an-ecodom-prototype-house-built-using-its-plastic-panels.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}