Matter is neither created nor destroyed, it only transforms. The following example may not do justice to the Lomonosov-Lavoisier law of conservation of matter, but it is a simple example of an application of this law. In Ecuador there is a huge problem with seized drugs and, especially, with the cocaine. The solution has been to use it as a construction material.

Yes, you read it right. In Ecuador, the problem they have is that they have seized so much cocaine that they do not have the capacity to eliminate it efficiently and, therefore, they have decided that this drug seized by the police will become useful for society. The use that they are going to give it is construction material.

No, they are not going to use the drug blocks to create buildings, schools or hospitals. Cocaine and coca paste will be mixed with concrete in order to cover a hole 15 meters deep. Does Ecuador have so much cocaine? Yes, the Ecuadorian national police seem to be doing a formidable job in their fight against drug.

In fact, Ecuador’s plans for the cocaine seized by the country’s national police is to convert 83 tons of the drug into construction material. These 83,000 kilos of cocaine will be mixed with other elements such as glass, expired medicines and petroleum waste to form a material that is then combined with concrete dust.

Ecuador transforms cocaine seized by national police into building blocks

Before using cocaine as another construction element, what Ecuador did was store it and then destroy it. Now Ecuador has seen the potential of cocaine as one more element when it comes to building. The process known as “encapsulation” allows the transformation of cocaine bricks into building blocks.

Of course, covering the 15-meter-deep hole has been the first project in Ecuador to reuse seized cocaine. This process may be seen by businessmen of the construction sector and in a few years we will see buildings made with this method that uses cocaine bricks to generate construction material.

It would be interesting both for the reuse of this element and for the fact that housing costs could be lowered. The most complicated thing would be to manage the use of cocaine since it is still a drug and both its transport and its use can be complicated. We will have to wait to see how this industry progresses and if businessmen are interested.