November 10, 2010 I attended a workshop in Dallas Texas featuring Ronald Omyonga. He is an architect from Nairobi Kenya. His passion is holistic housing for the third world poor. Holistic housing as I understood him is about giving the poor the tools to initiate commerce and housing. During the discussion after his speech I asked him if there was a plastic problem in Nairobi. He confirmed that there was a plastic trash problem.
I also wanted to know how he felt about an invention that used the plastic trash to create a building material, an invention that wasn’t dependent upon fuel or electricity that could be used by entrepeneurs. There would be work for those willing and able to procure the plastic trash. There would be commerce created by the entrepenuers with the inventions. And of course there would be contractors who would use the new construction material to create housing. The goal would be for the person procuring the plastic trash to someday be able to afford their own home built out of the new construction material.
We agreed to stay in touch. At the time I didn’t have a clue about what kind of new construction material I could come up with, much less the kind of machine that it would take to make it.
November the 18, 2010 I awoke from a half sleep baling plastic blocks. I was baling plastic blocks just like I would bale hay or straw, using wire, making building blocks. No genius involved, just half sleep dream state organizing thoughts. I became consumed with finding out everything I could about recycling plastics and sustainable housing.
November 18th I decided the idea was too good and the cause too important to seek intellectual property protection. I wanted this to be open source so that everyone could participate and anyone could contribute.
I believe I was right then and I believe it’s just as right now. Harvey Lacey