Assam to get first anganwadi made of plastic bottles. Here's why it's so cool

An anganwadi centre in Assam's Hailakandi district will be constructed with plastic bottles stuffed with non-biodegradable waste and mud, officials said on Saturday. The anganwadi centre at Singhalla area in Lala block will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3.46 lakh, district Additional Deputy Commissioner R K Dam said.

Apart from the district administration, UNDP, the state education, social welfare and PWD departments are part of the project, he said. Liquid cement will be used to reinforce the 'ecobricks', the plastic bricks stuffed with waste, the official said.

The rooms of the earthquake-resilient structure will be ventilated by making holes in the ecobricks, he said. As part of 'Plastic Borjon Campaign', the district administration organised a workshop and a rally on Friday to generate awareness about how to convert plastic bottles into ecobricks.

The march, conducted in collaboration with the Hailakandi Municipal Board, was flagged off by Dam and saw the participation of children. "Next time, you hold a plastic bottle in your hand, try thinking of it not as rubbish to be disposed of, but as the building block for something extraordinary," Dam told the children.

He said the concept of ecobricks, which originated in Guatemala, turns waste into a robust and affordable building material which simultaneously tackles problems of unemployment, waste and lack of housing. Ecobricks represent a different approach to waste management as plastic recycling is an energy-intensive, polluting business often involving long-distance transportation, he said.

The district administration has already set up 'plastic banks' where citizens can deposit single-use plastic items, which could be turned into ecobricks, Dam added..