In Sambhaji Nagar near Daulatabad in Maharashtra, two young women, Namita Kapale and Kalyani Bharmbe, have defied convention and scepticism to build an eco-friendly house using around 16,000 discarded plastic bottles and about 12–13 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic waste, transforming harmful waste into a durable structure that demonstrates a novel path for sustainable construction.
The nearly 4,000 sq ft house, built with mud, cow dung, bamboo and innovative eco-bricks made from densely filled plastic bottles, has gained attention from environmental advocates, local community members and public figures alike. Officials have remarked on the project’s ingenuity and potential replicability while highlighting its relevance in India’s ongoing plastic waste challenge.
The project not only cuts construction costs significantly but also underscores a shift towards seeing waste as a resource rather than a burden.
Eco-Innovation And Local Impact
The unique structure, named Wawar meaning an open field or farm rises from a nearly 4,000 sq ft plot in the semi-urban landscape of Sambhaji Nagar, close to historic Daulatabad. Instead of conventional bricks and cement, Kapale and Bharmbe relied on eco-bricks made by filling plastic bottles with layers of multilayer plastic waste or soil, tightly compacted to give them strength similar to traditional building blocks.
Out of the 16,000 bottles collected, approximately 10,000 were filled with plastic waste and the remaining 6,000 with soil. The bottles were then stacked and plastered with a mixture of soil and cow dung, which acts as a natural binder and insulator. Bamboo and wood were used for the roof, doors and windows materials chosen for their low environmental impact and local availability.
The house took around ten months to complete, with help from 15 local female daily-wage workers. The design deliberately avoids cement, keeping the cost nearly half that of conventional construction about ₹700 per sq ft compared with a typical ₹1,300 per sq ft.
Kapale estimates that their total outlay came to about ₹7 lakh, much of which came from their own savings and family support. The home doesn’t require air conditioning in summer or heating in winter, thanks to the thermal properties of mud construction.
Despite initial opposition from family members and local observers some of whom questioned why they were collecting waste instead of pursuing traditional careers the women persevered, guided by a belief that sustainability must be practical and inclusive.
“Our families questioned us about our decision to collect kachra (waste) instead of focusing on studies. Many people even labelled us bhangar wali, plastic wali, bottle wali,” Namita recalled in earlier interviews, underscoring the social hurdles they overcame before earning respect and recognition for their work.
Trials, Technical Challenges And Official Attention
The path to completion was not without setbacks. In mid-2021, civil engineers from the Government Engineering College in Aurangabad tested trial walls made from eco-bricks. Initial attempts collapsed under rainfall or failed to meet stability expectations, prompting adjustments in materials and methods. The duo eventually switched to a sticky local soil called Poyta capable of binding more effectively with the plastic bottles and refined their process through multiple iterations.
Since completion, the project has drawn visitors from across the region and garnered attention from senior public figures. Former Maharashtra environment minister Aaditya Thackeray visited the site in 2022 and publicly praised the innovation, noting its potential as a replicable model for low-impact housing and community development. “Developing homes using dung, soil, 16,000 plastic bottles and 12 to 13 tonnes of non-recyclable plastic,” he tweeted at the time, “is truly an effort worth replicating.”
Beyond local interest, the project sits within a broader context of eco-brick and plastic reuse efforts across India, where organisations and schools engage in filling plastic bottles with waste to make benches, walls or other structures to curb pollution. For example, community groups in Mangaluru have created public benches from eco-bricks filled with plastic waste, demonstrating the principle on a civic scale.
Background And Broader Context
India produces an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, a figure that has worsened with growth in e-commerce and single-use consumer goods. Much of this waste ends up in landfills, drains or water bodies, choking ecosystems and posing public health risks.
Towns and cities across the country have struggled with enforcement of plastic bans and proper disposal methods, prompting neighbourhood initiatives, municipal eco-brick incentive programmes and grassroots awareness campaigns.
The concept of eco-bricks plastic bottles densely packed with non-recyclable waste to make them structurally sound has spread globally and is gaining traction in India’s sustainability discourse. These bricks can be used not just for building homes but for benches, garden structures, play areas and community installations, providing dual benefits of waste reduction and community engagement.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we see the Wawar house as more than a construction project it is a symbol of possibility, empathy and community-driven problem-solving. Kapale and Bharmbe’s work challenges entrenched views about waste, redefining it as a resource that can serve people and planet alike.
Their achievements remind us that sustainable change is not just about policy but about creativity, courage and collective action. In a country where plastic waste continues to threaten ecosystems and public health, community-led innovations like this offer a hopeful alternative that is both replicable and inclusive.
