Afghanistan’s eco-friendly reconstruction

Homes in war-torn Afghanistan are being rebuilt using bricks made from compressed earth.

The earth bricks are eco-friendly because they are low carbon, use local materials, and need far less energy than kiln-fired bricks. As an added bonus, they are cheap, easy to make, and easy to build with.

The bricks are made using soil and a little cement or lime. The machine used to make the bricks is self-powered, so it is able to be used in areas without an electricity supply.

The tongue-and-groove bricks slide together to make sturdy walls without the need for cement to hold them in place.

Rafaat Ludin, who founded the company that makes the brick making machine, said: “We currently have orders for a number of rebuilding projects, including a Kabul housing complex, gymnasium, orphanage, and a vocational training institute.”

“Afghans deserve every opportunity to access affordable and sustainable building materials; we believe this is critical to their long-term success as a nation.”

The brick making machine is drawing attention from developers outside Afghanistan who are impressed at its eco-credentials. Several U.S. firms are already working out how the bricks could be used to build cost-effective housing and commercial buildings.