PROJECT OF PLASTICS WASTE RECYCLING, FUND 0,7% UDC

Work team: Cristina Blanco Montero, Cristina Botana Iglesias, Miguel Ángel Fernández Souto, Adrián Ferreiro Pérez, Alberto Fortes Novoa, Beatriz García Ron, Carolina Jack Lago, Lara Medín López, Berta Peleteiro Varela, Cristina García Fontán (coordination)

Documentation in pdf format: Reciclaje de material plástico de desecho para su aprovechamiento en sistemas constructivos en usos comunitarios (59,8 Mb)

The NGO Arquitectos Sin Fronteras (ASF) is currently working on the south coast of Guatemala within the Xunta de Galicia’s Integral Development Program Oxlajuj Tz'ikin. Under this program there is an Environment Committee that detected as a relevant problem within communities, the generation and burning of large quantities of plastic waste (bottles, bags...) that contribute to the degradation of the environment of families and their livelihood (natural resources). In parallel with this observation, in one of the communities (Santa Ines) arises concern about the lack of means for collecting garbage and they began to look for ideas for reuse. Among other ideas the reusing in construction was proposed.

In this context, Arquitectos Sin Fronteras in association with some faculty of the School of Architecture of A Coruña, applied for the call for aid for research projects in Cooperation for Development, Fund 0.7% of the UDC, that the Voluntary Cooperation Office and the University of A Coruña offers. Understanding that scarce economic resources in communities make access to decent housing (both family and community) is not possible, they proposed research strategy to provide a relevant, effective, economical and sustainable construction system, that allows the reuse of polluting waste and improving access to dignified buildings to these communities.

The project consists of two stages:

• The first step, a theoretical one, was made ​​in Galicia at the University of A Coruña, taking as reference the Arquitectos Sin Fronteras Office in the School of Architecture Pedro Barrie de la Maza. Making use of the resources available at the university were conducted search tasks and theoretical analisys to the definition of building systems investigated.
• The second stage of the project took place in the municipality of Champerico, Department of Retalhuleu, on the southern coast of Guatemala. At this stage the building systems that had been designed for this site were checked.

Throughout the process of research and validation, the cooperative community Beljuj Q'nil (created within the program Oxlajuj Tz'ikin and dedicated to the production of construction materials) provided facilities and participated in workshops and construction processes.