Living in plastic houses possible thanks to Mexican and Tec graduate

Living in a house made 100% from plastic is now possible thanks to a company started by Mexican engineer Ramón Espinosa Solís and promoted by Tec graduate Ricardo Montemayor López.

The company is named Polímeros de Saltillo (Saltillo Polymers) and is focused on the manufacturing of products based on a mixture of polymers.

This makes it possible to obtain slabs for building functional homes with greater durability and at a lower production cost than that of a conventional home.

According to its founders, this project aims to “offer decent housing and help reduce plastic that pollutes the environment.”

Everything made from plastic

Since 2010, Ramón has been working on creating a material from which houses could be built using recycled components.

“The trend was heading towards increased plastic production, and we realized that it needed to be used appropriately,” he explained.

In this way, he sought to prevent over-exploitation of other resources that are used in the construction industry.

According to Ramón and Ricardo, this initiative provides an immediate solution to waste generation in cities, the countryside, and the industrial sector.

“We turn plastic into something essential in order to help people and the environment.”

To obtain this material, they take collected plastic and put it through a crushing process by using a mill. They then apply heat, force it to cool, and press it to obtain a slab.

“Our process enables us to handle different polymers with different fluidity. We make mixtures to standardize the quality of the final product,” they pointed out.

H

Home sweet home

Through their manufacturing process, Ramón and Ricardo make sure that the plastics they use don’t contain any type of elements that are harmful to health.

What’s more, they explained that building with this material leads to several benefits compared to other types of houses.

“These houses have greater durability and require less maintenance, as well as having thermal and acoustic properties,” they explained.

According to Ramón, construction costs are reduced by up to 30% compared to conventional houses.

“You save energy due to its thermal properties, it doesn’t require any type of coating, and paint adheres easily,” he added.

While completion of a regular building can take up to six months on average, building with material from Polímeros de Saltillo reduces this to 7 or 8 weeks.

“The foundation is lighter, and it has the capacity to absorb earthquakes. In short, you’re living in ideal conditions,” they said.

“We turn plastic into something essential to help people and the environment,” said Ramón.

Although the project began in Guadalajara, Jalisco, it has now moved to Saltillo, Coahuila, due to its strategic geographical location from its proximity to cities such as Monterrey and the border with the United States.

“These days, it’s more commonplace for people to know about the environment and the importance of a project like this,” they concluded.

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