Plastic production has soared over the past few decades, leaving the world struggling with enormous quantities of waste. A 2017 study published in Science Advances estimated that 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic had been produced globally since large-scale manufacturing began. Only a small proportion has been recycled, while vast amounts have accumulated in landfills, waterways and natural ecosystems.
Mexico faces a significant plastic waste challenge of its own. The country consumes hundreds of thousands of tonnes of PET annually and ranks among the world’s biggest consumers of bottled water and soft drinks. At the same time, Mexico has made considerable progress in recycling. Over the past 15 years, PET collection and recycling rates have risen substantially, showing how greater awareness can translate into practical action.
One example is González’s EcoDom project, which aims to tackle plastic pollution and the shortage of affordable housing at the same time.
According to a report by Eleconomista, González grew up in the mountains of Puebla, an area affected by poverty and limited access to adequate housing. His experiences influenced his interest in developing solutions that could address both housing shortages and plastic pollution.
In 2013, he developed the model that eventually became the foundation of EcoDom.
Rather than treating plastic as waste, the company views it as a potential construction material. Its raw materials include PET, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene and ABS plastics, commonly found in products such as containers, buckets, toys and bags.
EcoDom sources discarded plastic from small businesses, independent collectors and organised collection drives. The material is then sorted, processed and ground into flakes before being placed into moulds, heated and compressed to create construction components.
Turning recycled plastic into building materials
EcoDom produces materials for structural walls, slabs, mezzanines and thermal roofing systems. González says each wall requires around six kilograms of processed plastic.
The system is intended to provide an alternative to conventional masonry while reducing the amount of plastic waste entering the environment.
The company combines its commercial operations with a social mission. It generates income through the sale of construction materials, construction services and housing projects, while directing part of its revenue towards social programmes. These initiatives can help subsidise homes for families who would otherwise struggle to afford them.
Affordable homes for low-income families
EcoDom’s subsidised housing programme is designed specifically to make decent homes accessible to low-income households.
According to the company’s figures, a complete home measuring about 42 square metres can cost roughly 5,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to around $280. Smaller structures, including single-bedroom units, can cost considerably less.
Families can also contribute their own labour towards construction, making the model more accessible to people with limited financial resources.
The houses are designed to be completed much faster than conventional buildings. According to the company, a home using its system can be constructed in about a week. EcoDom also claims that its materials can withstand certain loads better than traditional masonry.
A social mission beyond construction
EcoDom’s work extends beyond simply producing and selling homes. The company has also provided houses to families in need.
So far, it has sold two homes and donated five homes and three bedrooms, while continuing to seek partnerships that could help expand its housing programme. A potential collaboration is being explored with Universidad Cuauhtémoc de Puebla.
The concept has also attracted interest outside Mexico. González has said companies and organisations from India, Canada, France, Brazil, South Africa, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic have expressed interest in the technology.
Taking the idea beyond Puebla
More than eight million Mexican pesos has reportedly been invested in developing the business. González is now exploring the possibility of franchising EcoDom and taking the model to communities beyond Puebla.
The company is also preparing for a project involving the construction of 250 homes in Puebla. As part of the initiative, EcoDom plans to supply materials and provide training for at least some of the construction work.
The concept behind EcoDom is straightforward: plastic waste does not necessarily have to remain waste. By turning discarded plastic into construction materials, González’s model seeks to address two persistent challenges simultaneously — plastic pollution and the shortage of good-quality, affordable housing.
If such models can be successfully expanded, they could demonstrate how discarded materials can be transformed into practical resources for communities while giving plastic waste a useful second life.
