Manila - A group of secondary school
students in the Philippines has found a way to convert poo from
stray dogs into a mixture for bricks, aiming to rid city streets
of excrement and potentially even lower construction costs.
As part of a research project, eighth graders in the Payatas
district north of the capital Manila gathered and air-dried dog
faeces, which were then mixed with cement powder and moulded
into rectangular "bio bricks".
"Our streets will really be cleaned up," Mark Acebuche, the
students' science class adviser, told Reuters. He hoped local
government or corporations would sponsor the students' research
to help upgrade production.
Dog ownership in the Philippines is unregulated and rules on
taking care of pets are only loosely implemented, leading to a
large number of stray dogs.
"Bio-bricks" made of dog faeces and cement powder are pictured at Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School in Quezon City. Picture: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters
The students say their "bio bricks" are ideal for sidewalk
pavements or small structures like backyard walls. Each brick
contains 10 grams of dog poo and 10 grams of cement powder, and
has a faint odour that the group says will fade with time.
Students pile their "Bio-bricks" made of dog faeces and cement powder for demonstration, at Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School in Quezon City. Picture: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters
Students gather dog faeces to make "Bio-bricks" in Quezon City, Manila. Picture: Ronn Bautsista/Reuters