Plastic Bottles Greenhouse Project

Hello readers!

Thank you for keeping up with all things Ocean Sole; it’s that time when we share an exciting project we've recently completed.

We made a plastic bottle greenhouse! Yes, you read that right: a plastic greenhouse.

A greenhouse made from plastic bottles is not something you see every day. Most traditional greenhouses are made from glass.

What is a greenhouse, and how can you use it? A greenhouse is a small house used to grow plants by trapping the radiation from the sun and keeping the heat from escaping, making the house warm from the inside.

Greenhouses help to:

• Extend growing seasons.
• Offer better pest prevention.
• Provide additional growing options.
• Provide weather protection for greenhouse plants.

The plastic bottle greenhouse idea was born through the need to clean up our environment, collect all the plastic bottles thrown around, and upcycle them to something useful.

For construction, we needed the following:

• Round 10 metals 
• Timber 
• Screws 
• Plastic bottles 

Ocean Sole staff went around nearby neighborhoods and collected plastic bottles. It was so fun doing this with the team! The bottle collection was done in a week, and the team collected about 1,500 bottles.

23 Ocean Sole staff members participated in the collection exercise!

Irene, one of our staff members, collected 859 bottles alone! We were awed by her dedication and commitment to the project.

Irene is passionate about cooking and dreams of opening her restaurant one day. She mentioned that she would use the additional money she earned from collecting bottles to purchase chairs for her restaurant.

At Ocean Sole, we are all about supporting the goals and dreams of our staff. We’re happy to help Irene in her future endeavors!

The question on everyone’s mind was, how will the bottles be fitted to make the greenhouse?

Fortunately, we had Brian, our carpenter, understood the assignment. He began with developing the foundation and roof utilizing wood.

Brian and his colleague building the foundation

He then created holes at the bottom of the bottles, inserted them through the rod, and fitted them in a row.

It took six days total to complete the greenhouse. In total, we upcycled 1,448 bottles! 

Fitting the bottles on the metal rod

The greenhouse has become quite the attraction! It is standing in a shaded area at our Nairobi workshop. It is an instant sensation amongst our visitors.

Our plan is to utilize the greenhouse to plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and leafy greens - which the entire Ocean Sole staff can benefit from.

Our Chef, Musa, prepares daily meals for our team and will grow the veggies to utilize in his dishes.

The completed Greenhouse 

This project was exciting; you will see the greenhouse when you visit our workshop!

Email us at hello@oceansole.com for any questions, partnerships and collaborations, custom orders, or to learn how you can be part of our mission! 

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As a non-profit, all donations are tax exempt and HUGELY appreciated! #LetsDoSomeGoodTogether