As part of the site’s ongoing Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Made series, MSN has a video about Mexico’s Richart Sowa, a former carpenter who became interested in ecological engineering and left his job to spend over six years building a manmade island made from mostly recycled materials.
Over 150,000 plastic bottles bundled into mesh sacks keep the island afloat, including a three-story house on board, gardens, and its own sandy beach. In fact, plants like mangroves actually provide stability to the island, since their growing roots wind their way through the mesh bags underneath to help keep everything tied together.
The recycled utopia also relies on rain water and solar power to make living more comfortable, and it’s accessed by a small boat that itself floats on over 1,000 recycled plastic bottles. It’s not exactly the Ritz, but spending a few days at this resort certainly won’t leave you feeling guilty about your impact on the environment. [MSN]
