Cindy Mora Abarca spent 9 years saving money for a small plot of land in the Lámparas neighbourhood of Alajuelita, near San José, Costa Rica, hoping to eventually build a permanent home for herself and her 6-year-old son, Fabrizio. She eventually secured the land through a loan, but that left her without enough money to construct a house on it. Her situation changed when she connected with Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica, which paired her case with Procter & Gamble, the local organisation Urbarium and recycled materials group Ekojunto. Together, the partners built a home using interlocking blocks made primarily from recycled plastic waste, giving Mora and her son a permanent place to live. Construction began in April 2018, and the completed house was handed over to the family on May 26 that year. The project turned thousands of kilograms of discarded plastic into the walls of a real family home, while also demonstrating how recycled materials could be incorporated into conventional residential construction. The house became more than a solution to Mora’s immediate housing needs. It also demonstrated how waste that might otherwise end up in landfills or waterways could be redirected into useful building materials. The project offered a practical example of combining affordable housing with environmental goals, showing how recycling initiatives can have a direct social impact.
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