Heineken WOBO: The beer bottle brick 24 Oct 2007

In 1963, beer brewer Alfred Heineken and architect John Habraken created the Heineken WOBO (WOrld BOttle) - the "brick that holds beer". Heineken came up with the idea during a visit to the Caribbean where he observed two significant problems: beaches littered with bottles and a lack of affordable building materials. The WOBO was his solution to these challenges. Unfortunately, this environmentally-friendly design failed to take off and was subsequently shelved. We wonder if it would fare better in today's more eco-sensitive climate...?

(Note: This is a great example of "upcycling" - a term coined by Cradle to Cradle authors William McDonough and Michael Braungart to describe the notion of turning waste into useful products.)