Inmates of Agra district jail have lent a helping hand in the campaign against the polythene menace in the tourist city as they have made ecologically-friendly bricks that are filled with waste polythene.

Members of the Unfold Foundation and the Agra Vikas Manch, purchased 3,825 'eco-bricks' made by the inmates for Rs 19,125. Jail Superintendent Shashi Kant Mishra accepted the cheque.

The 'eco-bricks' are filled with waste polythene. These could be used to make benches in parks or table lamps. Eco-bricks are made of plastic bottles that are stuffed with polythene bags and are sealed.

"This is a highly cost effective waste-control exercise based on common sense. We collect used plastic bottles, pack them with packing material, 'gutkha' pouches and polythene, make the bottles airtight and seal them. The bottles become rock solid and are good enough to last 500 years," Dr Meeta Kulshreshtha, a surgeon and coordinator of Unfold Foundation, told IANS.

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The bricks will be used for lining the toilet walls in the Ram Lal Old Age Home here. The eco-brick project to curb the polythene menace was launched last year by the Unfold Foundation. It has now become a large campaign and thousands of eco-bricks have been made using the waste, by schoolchildren, voluntary agencies and social activists. (IANS)