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Modular blocks made from plastic waste and biomass advance in rapid construction projects, with use in schools in Indonesia and a proposal to reduce construction stages, heavy transport, and dependency on conventional materials in regions vulnerable to natural disasters.
Based in Tampere, Finland, Block Solutions has developed modular blocks made from recovered plastic and biological waste to accelerate construction, reduce building stages, and lessen dependency on conventional materials in housing, school, and community projects.
The technology works by interlocking, without cement adhesive between the pieces, and has already been applied in schools built in Lombok, Indonesia, an island hit by strong earthquakes in 2018 and associated with reconstruction projects using lightweight materials.
According to the company, the modules are part of a patented solution that transforms recovered plastic and biowaste into construction pieces, with a proposal aimed at quick assembly, waste reuse, and reduction of wet operations on site.
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Among the data released by Block Solutions, the blocks are 10 times lighter, three times stronger than conventional concrete blocks, and allow construction up to 10 times faster, with savings of up to 80% in a 40-square-meter house.
How recycled plastic blocks work
In practice, the system changes the logic of traditional masonry by replacing part of the mortar setting with stacked and interlocked pieces, reducing curing stages, cement mixing, and reliance on more time-consuming processes.
Instead of building walls block by block with mortar, constant alignment, and drying between stages, trained teams can interlock the modules sequentially, which simplifies execution and facilitates use in projects with limited structure.
Depending on the waste available in each market, the material composition can change, allowing the technology to utilize local inputs and reduce the need to transport conventional raw materials over long distances to the construction site.
A report by CHEManager, a publication specializing in the chemical sector, stated that the blocks can be made solely from recycled plastic or as a biocomposite, combining up to 50% organic fibers and 50% reused plastic.
Among the fibers mentioned by the same publication are coconut husk, rice husk, bamboo, and sugarcane, residues that can be incorporated into the production process according to regional availability and the type of local collection chain.
With this adaptation, manufacturing approaches the places of use, takes advantage of waste found in the region itself, and can reduce dependence on imported inputs, without eliminating the need for technical control, performance tests, and industrial standardization.
Schools in Lombok after Earthquakes
One of the most relevant examples of the technology appears in Lombok, an island in Indonesia affected by a series of earthquakes in August 2018, when local communities lost homes, schools, businesses, and part of the essential infrastructure.
According to ABC News, the tremors left more than 550 dead, displaced about 417,000 people, and destroyed public and private structures, creating demand for faster reconstruction solutions in areas exposed to new seismic events.
In this scenario, educational and social organizations began using so-called eco-blocks to rebuild educational spaces, focusing on lightweight, modular structures that are simpler to assemble in communities affected by natural disasters.
The SDN 4 Taman Sari school in Lombok was erected in June 2021 with recycled plastic mixed with wood fibers and, according to ABC News, had its structure built in less than a week.
For areas vulnerable to earthquakes, seismic resistance appears as one of the central arguments of the system, as the low weight of the pieces can reduce risks associated with the collapse of very heavy structures during tremors.
ABC News reported that the elasticity of the blocks allows the walls to flex instead of breaking rigidly, while the lightness of the material reduces the potential impact of collapses in schools and community spaces.
Modular Construction with Waste Reuse
Responsible for educational projects in vulnerable areas, Classroom of Hope reports that it maintains a partnership with Block Solutions Indonesia in the Block Schools program, an initiative aimed at building schools with blocks produced from plastic waste.
According to institutional material updated in 2025, the modules used in the program are made with plastic waste from Indonesia, can last from 50 to 100 years, and were designed for disassembly, reconstruction, and reuse in other structures.
In Jakarta, in the year 2023, Happy Hearts Indonesia announced the completion of the first two Block Schools made with recycled raw materials in Lombok, called RA Batu Rakit and TK IT Bina Insani.
The project brought together Happy Hearts Indonesia, Block Solutions Indonesia, and the support of Our Goals, a consultancy focused on environmental and social impact, in an action directed at the reconstruction of educational spaces on the island.
According to the Indonesian organization, each classroom built with this system can remove one to two tons of plastic from the environment, transforming discarded waste into construction components for community use.
The entity also reported that the blocks used in the schools include PP, PET, and HDPE, common types of plastic found in packaging, containers, and other discarded products that tend to pressure local collection and recycling systems.
Local factory and demonstration houses
In addition to schools, the technology appears in smaller demonstration constructions, used to showcase the potential of the modules in compact housing and community structures that require quick assembly and less reliance on traditional materials.
Classroom of Hope reported that the Block Solutions factory in Lombok inaugurated a 24 square meter house model, built by a local contractor in six days and associated with the removal of 1.5 tons of domestic plastic from the environment.
Officially inaugurated on June 26, 2023, the Lombok unit was presented by Classroom of Hope as the first factory of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on local production and reducing imports.
By manufacturing the blocks on the island itself, the initiative reduces the need to bring modules from Finland, shortens the supply chain, and creates space for training teams and workers linked to local construction.
The model also connects to a broader environmental issue, as Classroom of Hope’s material points out that Indonesia generates about 24.5 thousand tons of plastic waste per day and recycles only a small part of this volume.
Part of this waste still reaches the environment, rivers, and coastal areas, which increases interest in solutions capable of transforming waste into durable products, especially when associated with social interest works and public infrastructure.
Challenges for adoption in other countries
Despite the environmental appeal and quick assembly, adoption in other countries depends on technical standards, licensing, performance testing, and acceptance by local building codes, especially in permanent and collective use constructions.
In Brazil, where ceramic blocks, concrete, and mortar remain predominant in civil construction, any comparison would require analysis of resistance, durability, fire safety, logistical cost, maintenance, and compatibility with Brazilian standards.
The advancement of Block Solutions shows how plastic waste can gain long-term use in modular structures, especially in social projects, schools, compact housing, and community equipment located in areas needing rapid reconstruction.
The scale of the solution, however, depends on certifications, local collection and manufacturing chains, as well as technical proof in each market where the blocks are used as an alternative or complement to traditional methods.
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