Adversity is an opportunity

While the entire world is worried sick about the impact on the environment as Covid fighting PPE suits, masks and other paraphernalia keeps on mounting. At a time when we were just about getting some success is reducing usage of plastic, the usage in the pandemic has increased manifold.

But the ‘Recycle Man of India,’ Binesh Desai from Gujarat has a solution – make sustainable building material. He had earlier made P-Block, from waste produced in paper mills and now, he has designed P-Block 2.0, made from COVID-19-related biomedical waste. The bricks are made using 52% of shredded PPE material, 45% paper sludge, and 3% binding agent-formulated gum base.

Its prototype passed all the tests for durability, and even surpassed expectations on the quality. Each brick is 12 x 8 x 4 inches in size, and it uses 7 kg of biomedical waste per square foot. Binish claims it is lighter, and stronger compared to the P-Block 1.0. It is also waterproof and fire-resistant, and costs Rs 2.8 per piece.

Well, wherever there is a crisis, there is an opportunity; if up to us how we use our intellect and mind.