Last year, humans reached a new and alarming milestone where plastic bottle consumption was concerned. Every minute, a million plastic bottles are purchased around the world. What’s even more disconcerting is that by 2021, that number is projected to increase by 20%. And if you point to recycling programs as our savior, you’re sadly mistaken. Unfortunately, only about 9% of those bottles actually ended up being recycled.

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Each year in the United States alone, 47 billion plastic water bottles are thrown away. And if 91% of that plastic is not being recycled, that means the majority is likely ending up in our oceans and landfills, where it takes between 500 and 1,000 years to degrade.

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But what if there were a way to do something useful with all of that plastic waste?

Well, the Samarpan Foundation has figured out a way to do just that!

This incredible organization has developed a process for turning the discarded plastic that is wreaking havoc on our environment into one of its most valuable resources—a building material.

Filled with mud, not only can these bottles replace traditional bricks, but they also have a number of amazing construction benefits, such as low maintenance upkeep!

Take a look at the video below to learn more! And don’t forget: in addition to recycling, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your plastic waste!