In this increasing situation of global environmental pollution, the Nigerian people have ‘bottled up’ a unique construction idea for their house. Being among one of the most populated African countries, houses have always been a top priority in Nigeria. The villagers have come up with a creative solution and have created a new sustainable construction technology by using discarded plastic bottles as prime raw material for building their houses. This eco-friendly construction method is strong and durable, with the ability to withstand fire, earthquakes, and even bullets! Imagine that! According to Al Jazeera reports, this method is called bottle-brick technology, which makes the walls 18-times stronger than regular brick walls.

The Process

Mainly school drop-out or jobless youth are employed in these new house-building projects in the central state of Kaduna. They collect discarded plastic bottles to fill up with sand. Then the sand-filled bottles are stacked with the help of a traditional mud technology-based glue to construct the walls. Finally, the outside is secured with a crisscross patterned net. It results in a striking lattice pattern throughout the wall. Almost 14,000 plastic bottles are used to build a single house.

The Impact

With raw materials being almost free, these houses cost a third less than traditional housing prices in the region. These new affordable homes are offered for lower prices to help rural villagers. Staff at the Development Association for Renewable Energies are trying to secure more funding and expansion of the building technology enterprise. They are keeping faith in the Nigerian Government to do so, by pitching the project. This construction method is also gaining popularity among global environmentalists and green architects. Through this new recycling method, Nigeria is contributing benefits for the neighborhood and the planet as a whole, all in an exceptional and exemplary way.

2020 has been a bad year for a lot of people. With the worldwide crisis throwing everything off the rails, just getting from one day to another has been a real struggle. Luckily for waitress Lisa Mollett, the generosity of her customers has given her a reason to smile amidst all the sadness.

Out Of Work

Like plenty of people, Lisa was forced out of work when the crisis struck. Although she was still employed, she couldn’t do her job because her restaurant was closed. The Empire Diner in New Jersey shut its doors in March, and it was several months until they opened again. Being unable to work for so long put a real strain on Lisa, especially as a single mother with two kids. However, through all the pressure, she managed to keep herself and her family afloat.

One Disaster After Another

When the Empire Diner reopened, Lisa was thrilled to start earning a regular paycheck again. However, it wasn’t long before disaster struck for a second time when her car broke down. Unable to afford to fix it, she resorted to using Uber to get to and from her job. This wasn’t exactly the cheapest alternative, but with everything going on, she didn’t have many other choices. That was when two of her regular customers did something to turn her luck around.

An Extraordinary Tip

We’ve heard of tipping serving staff generously, but this went above and beyond. Lisa’s customers gifted her a Nissan Ultima, so she didn’t have to pay for any more Uber rides to work. According to the waitress, the couple visits the Empire Diner all the time and have a family much like hers. When they learned of her struggles, they wanted to do something to make her smile. Evidently, they were successful.

This is one of the toughest years we’ve ever experienced, but at least people haven’t lost their generous and loving spirit.