Bottling Up History

This glass bottle house is located on Prince Edward Island.

Old homes, and new, are filled with stories

Compiled by Ralph Finch

Over the last hundred years plus, we have had many stories of homes built with old bottles. Perhaps the most famous ones are in Rhyolite, Nevada, a ghost town about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Founded in 1905 as a mining camp after gold was discovered nearby, Rhyolite declined nearly as quickly as it rose, and by 1920 the town was well on its way to becoming a ghost town. During its heyday, local Tom Kelly constructed a bottle house that became the talk of the town. Since then, two other glass houses, and a number of smaller ones, sprang up in Rhyolite. They still stand today. But even now, much of our old glass history is being replaced with plastic. Take a look at the photo of the “Ecological Plastic Bottle House” of Puerto Iguazú, Argentina. Wikipedia reports it is “built from thousands of plastic bottles, it was designed and constructed by Alfredo Santa Cruz and his family in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. Lit with outside light, softened by the clear plastic, it is a surprisingly beautiful (and waterproof!)

“The Ecological Bottle House exemplifies the concept of self-sustainability and demonstrates how a bit of creative ingenuity can bring about positive change in the way humans interact with the environment.” “In an era when sustainability seems more important than ever, one Argentine family has been a pioneer of renewable living since the 2000s. During a financial crisis, Alfredo Santa Cruz made money by collecting and selling bottles, cardboard and cans. Fast forward two decades, and the Casa Ecológica de Botella has become a place to live, generate an income, and contribute to the environment.

“Walking around the house is quite the eye opener. The walls of the main house feature 1,200 plastic bottles, the roof is made from 1,300 tetra pak cartons, and the windows are created from CD cases. The bases of the armchairs, sofas and beds are all made from plastic bottles, too.”

ABOVE: People who live in Argentina plastic houses worry about what? Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Soldon BELOW: This glass bottle house is in Rhyolite, Nevada.