Trash to Treasure

Dan Phillips has a whole lotta junk, and he knows how to use it. The Texas native builds energy-efficient, low-income houses from salvaged items like license plates, scraps of wood, wine corks, shattered glass -- even animal bones. (No animals are harmed in the process, or at least not by Phillips).

According to an article in today's New York Times, Phillips started his construction company, Phoenix Commotion, in 1997. Since then, he's built 14 low-income houses in his hometown of Huntsville, Tex. on lots purchased or donated. While it may seem impossible to craft entire houses from everyday scraps, Phillips says his houses are made of 80 percent recycled materials and comply with all local building codes.

Though the houses may seem kooky, they are actually amazingly stunning (see here for a slideshow that appeared on the New York TimesWeb site). Not to mention, truly unique and eco-friendly.

Phillips has certainly shaken things up in his hometown, and he's starting to make waves elsewhere: In 2004, Huntsville officials worked with Phillips to set up a warehouse where builders and manufacturers could drop off discarded items (a benefit for Phoenix Commotion and local builders, who get a tax deduction and don't have to pay waste removal fees). Since then, cities like Houston, Bryan, Tex., Denham Springs, La., and Indianapolis have set up similar warehouses.

With Americans producing more than 200 million tons of waste each year, we're guessing Phillips -- and other other builders who may follow his lead -- will have no shortage of materials.

Photo courtesy of stock.xchng.