A lack of affordable housing and increasing piles of plastic refuse in Ghana could drive demand for homes made of such refuse. Local entrepreneur Nelson Boateng told Voice of America (see story here) that he combines sand and plastic waste at high temperatures to produce bricks said to be less expensive and more robust than concrete building blocks.

The development comes at an important time: Kwaku Afriyie, Ghana’s environment minister, said this week that the country is becoming overwhelmed with plastics and could criminalise aspects of its production and use.

Maybe people there will just start tossing it in the kiln with some sand to find it a home as part of a new home.