A boy shows samples of eco-bricks (Image from Wikipedia)

The battle against plastic pollution has extended to Cagayan de Oro City. A three-story building that will provide a facility to treat children with leukemia is now in the works in the city. And it will be made entirely of eco-bricks.

A former garbage dumpsite in Zayas was selected to be the location of the proposed building, which will be named “Balay Lunas (House of Healing).” The whole 14-hectare land in Zayas will soon be converted into an eco-park.

“Eco-bricks”, which are made of plastic garbage stuffed inside a plastic bottle, are the main materials of the building. Making eco-bricks have been the source of livelihood of former garbage scavengers that formed a cooperative.

Eco-bricks have better durability than the usual hollow blocks according to the City’s Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) chief, Engr. Armen Cuenca.

“The durability of the eco brick is 700 pound per square inch (psi) compared to a hollow block which is only 400 psi. In fact, we can get 35 percent savings when we will use the eco-bricks,” he said.

Mayor Oscar Moreno expressed his appreciation for the success of the project that would benefit so many people such as the less fortunate waste pickers and children with leukemia.

Eco-bricks advocate and environmentalist vlogger, Nico Bolzico, was amazed with the project and says he is looking forward for more people to use eco-bricks. (RJ Espartinez)