Green Ammo’s Bottle Brick movement turns waste plastic into building blocks for toilets, classrooms and benches across India and Nepal. This simple, community-led idea is reducing carbon emissions, creating jobs and inspiring people to rethink waste.
What began with one public bench in a West Bengal village is now a growing movement across India and even Nepal. Using discarded plastic bottles stuffed with soft plastic waste, communities are building toilets, classrooms, benches and even museums. This approach has already prevented 2.33 lakh kilograms of carbon emissions, says a report published in The Better India. The work is led by Green Ammo, a non-profit started by Amit Roy from West Bengal and Momo from Meghalaya. Their mission is simple but powerful, i. e. turn plastic waste into something useful, while also teaching people how to care for their surroundings.
How bottle bricks work
India produces about 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, much of which is never recycled. Green Ammo’s work shows that this waste can be turned into a resource instead of a burden. The method is straightforward. First, people collect clean, dry soft plastic waste such as chip packets, biscuit wrappers, or cling film. This waste is tightly packed into empty PET bottles. Once filled, the bottles become ‘Bottle Bricks’. Each brick can hold at least 250 grams of plastic and can last over 300 years.
These bricks are then used with cement to make strong structures like walls, benches and toilets. The process is simple enough for anyone to join in, from schoolchildren to people in rural villages. Amit tells The Better India, “In the beginning, I asked villagers for 200 PET bottles and soft plastic waste. They collected them in just one week. We used these to build a public bench, and it is still there today.”
Building trust with communities
The project is about more than just recycling. It builds trust and gives people a sense of ownership. Momo explains, “When people see the bricks they made being used for a toilet or a wall, it makes them feel proud.” One early success was at St. Michael’s Higher Secondary School in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya. Lecturer Sukanta Bhattacharjee read about Green Ammo’s SUPER campaign and invited them to speak at the school. The idea caught on so well that bottle brick making became part of the school curriculum.
They spread awareness on ‘Dignity of Waste Picking’ and impart knowledge on how government supports them for the initiative. The Green Ammo team has been working with their waste sorters for almost a decade. The environmental enthusiasts are incredibly following their passion as they also help people in villages to earn daily living.
Reaching every section of society
Bottle Bricks are inclusive because anyone can make them. Green Ammo has worked with students, corporate employees, slum residents, and rural women. Momo says, “One of the most powerful moments was in Assam, where girls had dropped out of school because there were no toilets. After we built a toilet from Bottle Bricks, they returned to school.”
This impact goes beyond a one-time build. Green Ammo works with local communities to set up ‘Bottle Brick hubs’, ensuring the practice continues long after they leave.
Lessons beyond the classroom
The project has also changed how students think about waste. Instead of only learning from textbooks, they now take direct action. “One girl told me she never thought she could build something. But now her brick is part of a toilet at her school,” says Momo.
Amit adds, “When children see waste turned into something useful, they learn that their actions matter.” Sukanta believes projects like this help students develop values like cleanliness, responsibility and respect for the environment.
Addressing safety and durability concerns
Some people question whether plastic can be used safely in construction. Amit clarifies, “We are not making high-rise buildings. We make community toilets, benches and walls that are tested for durability and safety.” The initiative also creates jobs. Green Ammo trains masons and community builders to work with Bottle Bricks. In some areas, people earn money by making and building with these bricks.
One of Green Ammo’s aims is to change how people view waste. “The real problem is not plastic alone, but our relationship with it. When people make Bottle Bricks, they see how much waste they create, and they become more careful,” says Amit.
The numbers show how far the idea of Green Ammo spread:
- 13,000 Bottle Bricks in Meghalaya
- 12,000 in West Bengal
- 7,000 in Assam
- 6,000 in Himachal Pradesh
- 9,000 in Nepal
Together, these have prevented more than 2,33,750 kilograms of carbon emissions.
Transforming spaces with waste
The bricks have been used for a variety of purposes, public park benches, urinals in schools, walkways in eco-tourism parks, school furniture and classroom walls. In one rural community, people once dumped plastic waste near their water source. Now, they proudly show visitors a Bottle Brick toilet built from their own collected waste. Amit says, “It’s amazing to see waste transformed into something that brings dignity to a community.”
Green Ammo’s approach is open-source, meaning anyone can learn it and start their own project. They regularly train teachers, community leaders, and volunteers. As more schools adopt bottle brick-making, the movement grows stronger. Momo sums it up, “We’re not trying to change the world overnight. We’re showing people that they already have the tools to make a difference.”
A quiet revolution, one bottle at a time
The Bottle Brick movement is more than an environmental project, it’s a shift in mindset. From villages in Himachal to border communities in Nepal, people are reimagining waste as a building block for change. Sukanta says it best, “We all use plastic, so we are all responsible for its impact. This project lets everyone be part of the solution.” For anyone who wants to help, it starts simply! Collect your household’s soft plastic, fill a bottle, and send it to a local Bottle Brick hub or school drive. Each brick made is one step closer to cleaner surroundings and stronger communities.
Because when waste becomes a resource and communities work together, the change is both real and lasting.