Sophie Chapman discusses how her Hong Kong-based startup, EcoBricks, is converting plastic and construction waste into durable material for various uses
While on holiday in the Philippines with her husband a few years ago, Sophie Chapman, co-founder of Hong Kong green start-up EcoBricks, witnessed an upsetting sight: a stream of waste in the ocean. “It was literally like a current of non-stop waste. Right in the middle, as we passed, was an upside-down turtle,” she recalls.
What’s more, the beach at their resort was strewn with rubbish carried in by ocean currents from other islands, which staff would clear up early every morning before guests hit the sand. The experiences left Chapman pondering the ineffectiveness of existing plastic waste recycling methods, despite ongoing global sustainability efforts.
Bricks produced by EcoBricks have been used to pave the promenade at Sino Group’s Gold Coast Piazza in Hong Kong (Photo: Sophie Chapman)
1 / 1
The worldwide plastic waste recycling rate is stuck at a mere 10 per cent, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Chapman believes this low figure stems from the high costs and complex processes involved, which discourage many recyclers. But many of the processes turn waste plastic into new, usable plastic; she realised, for the idea to work, the product needed to be something essential. And so the idea of turning plastic waste into bricks—a material needed everywhere—was sparked.
Chapman and Sharghy launched EcoBricks in May 2020. They operate an industrial-scale factory in Yuen Long with a rated production capacity of 50,000 bricks daily. Each brick—made of up to 65 per cent plastic waste and construction waste—can be customised in various shapes and colours, and used for everything from paving pathways to seating areas.
Read more: Can business save the world? Sustainability advocate Chaye Cabal-Revilla thinks so
