{"id":9967,"date":"2025-04-03T23:19:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T02:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/pratica\/a-partir-das-bitucas-de-cigarro-jovens-criam-tijolos-sustentaveis-para-moradias\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T11:22:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:22:39","slug":"a-partir-das-bitucas-de-cigarro-jovens-criam-tijolos-sustentaveis-para-moradias","status":"publish","type":"pratica","link":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/en\/case\/a-partir-das-bitucas-de-cigarro-jovens-criam-tijolos-sustentaveis-para-moradias\/","title":{"rendered":"From cigarette waste, students create ecological bricks for housing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Turning cigarette butts into ecological bricks for building homes might sound far-fetched. But what if those bricks were also designed like toy blocks, making construction even easier? For a group of teenagers and their high school teacher in Argentina, this innovation not only seemed possible but also became a reality. With knowledge in STEM<\/a> (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and a lot of dedication, they brought to life the project “Bastet Haus,” a finalist of Solve for Tomorrow in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cellulose is extracted from cigarette butts and mixed with cement to create lighter, more affordable bricks. The goal is to offer a strong yet simple material to build housing for people in need. The project builds upon “Collisafe<\/a>“, the 2022 winner of Solve for Tomorrow in the same countries. At the time, the team reused cigarette butts, removing all chemicals and toxins from the cellulose through the action of the Pleurotus ostreatus<\/em> mushroom, also known as the oyster mushroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cigarette butts were sealed in a container with the fungus and, in just 25 days in the dark, the toxic substances were broken down. \u201cThe impact of Solve for Tomorrow was huge in our school, and our idea was to take the project a step further,\u201d explains the teacher. “Collisafe” even led to the founding of a local cooperative focused on collecting and recycling cigarette butts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The ecological bricks were tested in a lab and showed promising results, with equal or better resistance than traditional market options.<\/em>
<\/span><\/div><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new team included four students from the fifth year of secondary school\u2014the penultimate year of compulsory education. The mentor teacher, Agustin Pascua, has a background in Business Administration and leads the Economics and Management Department at Escuela Nacional Adolfo Perez Esquivel. Pascua was also the mediator<\/a> for “Collisafe” and says that with the final product in hand, there were many possibilities. \u201cThe students began analyzing. I told them to consider the community’s needs so this new project could offer a solution,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By examining local data, they discovered that around 4 thousand people<\/a> were homeless in Buenos Aires, where the school is located. That motivated them to focus on ecological bricks. They chose the name “Bastet Haus” to represent “the protector of the home”: Bastet is the ancient Egyptian goddess of protection, and “Haus” means “house” in German.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n Eureka Moment! <\/h5>\n

After confirming the feasibility of brick production, the students considered how to reduce labor costs. They tested several prototypes<\/a> at the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of the Province of Buenos Aires (UNICEN), to which the school is affiliated. With reference research and support from university students, the idea of interlocking bricks\u2014like LEGO blocks\u2014emerged. \u201cThe results from the interlocking designs were very positive; we confirmed that our bricks are as strong or stronger than standard ones,\u201d the teacher shares.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n

That\u2019s the magic of Solve for Tomorrow. Whether you win or not, you need commitment – and that changes the traditional classroom dynamic, says Pascua.
<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ecological bricks are also interlocking<\/strong>
<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The interlocking format allows the bricks to be assembled by modules. This means someone can start with a smaller house and expand or modify it later, similar to prefabricated homes but much easier to assemble. \u201cWe\u2019re taking a material that would be wasted and turning it into something extremely useful, which also helps reduce pollution on the planet,\u201d he emphasizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To reach a sustainable prototype, they tested different material compositions and found that the best formula was 60% acetate (a chemical compound derived from the reaction of acetic acid with cotton cellulose) and 40% of other materials like cement. \u201cWe reduced cement use by more than 50% compared to a conventional brick. We ran about 10 to 15 different mixture iterations,\u201d Pascua summarizes. The cost savings were significant: while a regular brick costs around 700 Argentine pesos (U$ 0,65), “Bastet Haus” bricks cost only 350 pesos (U$ 0,33). Although the tests were supervised by scientists and engineers at the university, the students learned about material resistance and cellulose structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The interlocking bricks feature a simple design to make the prototype lighter and more cost-effective<\/em>
<\/span><\/div><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With a tested prototype ready, the team faced another challenge: presenting their idea to the public at the Solve for Tomorrow final. They practiced delivering a strong pitch<\/a>. Their strategies included Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)<\/a>, using kinesthetic stimulation (physical experience and body movement) to shape their message. They also applied nonverbal communication (NVC) techniques, adjusting gestures, posture, and vocal tone. \u201cWe saw incredible moments, like 16 and 17 year-old students meeting at 8am on a Saturday to rehearse for an oral presentation,\u201d the teacher recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students also dedicated time to thinking about how to manage the business: \u201cOn one hand, we could serve municipalities interested in offering social housing to citizens. On the other hand, we can sell to individual clients who want to build a simple home, not just those experiencing homelessness,\u201d the teacher explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the future, the team plans to continue working on the project, eventually using the bricks to build full walls and houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n