A Bottle, A Brick, A Better Tomorrow: How Green Ammo Is Turning Plastic Waste into Hope!
Founded by Amit Roy and Momo, Green Ammo is a non-profit turning soft plastic waste into strong, long-lasting "Bottle Bricks" that are helping build schools, benches, libraries, toilets and more. But more than buildings, they are creating dignity, purpose, and a greener tomorrow.What Are Bottle Bricks?Imagine using trash to build something that lasts for centuries. That’s the magic of Bottle Bricks. Here’s how it works: Soft plastic waste like chips packets, biscuit wrappers, and cling film is collected, cleaned, and dried. Then, this plastic is tightly stuffed into used plastic bottles until they’re hard and firm. These bottles become bricks that are incredibly tough, lasting over 300 years. Each one locks away about 250 grams of plastic that might otherwise end up in the ocean or landfill. Mix these with cement, and you’ve got a brick ready to build walls, toilets, or benches just like any regular brick, only greener.During a sustainability workshop in Sepi, Darjeeling, Amit noticed that most waste was soft plastic, hard to recycle but easy to toss. Villagers were asked for used PET bottles. Using the collected waste, he built a bench. That bench is still standing today and marks the beginning of the Bottle Brick journey. Inspired by the success in Khonoma, Amit and Momo expanded the initiative. Not Just Waste Management It’s Community EmpowermentGreen Ammo works with many schools and villages. Students, often underestimated, are now at the heart of this mission. In Shillong, a campaign called SUPER was conducted across the city in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education and Literacy, Meghalaya. Schools participated by making Bottle Bricks and incorporating them into their curriculum. One of the most enthusiastic participants was St. Michael’s Higher Secondary School, which adopted the Bottle Brick concept wholeheartedly.In the second phase of the SUPER campaign, local women were trained to convert these upcycled bricks into usable construction materials. A toilet was built at Nongpuir Lower Primary School, along with a rainwater harvesting system—marking a significant shift from waste to water resilience. Anyone can make a bottle brick—kids, college students, corporate workers, or people living in slums. Green Ammo has built washrooms in tea estates, fences around schools, and play areas in urban bastis. Laying Foundations of HopeToday, Green Ammo’s efforts have expanded across Meghalaya. They are currently working with the Shillong Municipal Board to create dog kennels for stray dogs, offering safe spaces for care and sterilization.With support from the Swachh Bharat Urban Affairs Mission, they are training waste sorters on the concept of segregation, cleanup, and how Bottle Bricks can generate employment—transforming waste workers into climate warriors.The organization is also collaborating with the Social Welfare Department to hold training, workshops, and demonstrations for the distribution of menstrual cups, promoting both sustainability and menstrual health awareness.Meanwhile, with the Directorate of School Education and Literacy, Green Ammo is working on conducting monthly celebration events like World Paper Bag Day and World Youth Day, making the ideas of sustainability and climate literacy more youth-friendly and engaging.Scaling the MovementIn Sepi, the waste collected along the trekking route to Sandakphu is now being turned into Bottle Bricks. With these, Green Ammo is planning to build three new classrooms for a school that hasn’t seen infrastructure beyond the 5th standard—bringing hope where it’s long been missing.In Manali, a Bottle Brick structure is underway that will serve as a minimalist homestay for Green Ammo volunteers. Here, experiential learning meets eco-living in a space entirely built by what would have otherwise been trash.Green Ammo’s model is open to all. They train teachers, community leaders, and students. Schools are including Bottle Brick-making in their curriculum. Kids are excited. Communities are engaged. A quiet but powerful movement is spreading. Green Ammo’s story is about more than sustainability; it’s about belief. Belief in people, in communities, and in the power of simple ideas. With every wrapper stuffed, every wall built, and every child involved, they are proving that a greener future is not only possible, it’s already happening!
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