Mexican gardener, Omar de Jesús Vazquez Sánchez, has found a sustainable solution to the sargassum seaweed problem on the beaches of Cancun.
While the Mexican government has had to clear away up to 40,000 tons of the smelly seaweed, Omar saw it as an opportunity to create building materials. He founded SargaBlock and began making adobe-like blocks from the seaweed in a kiln. The blocks, which contain 40% sargassum, are being hailed as a sustainable solution to a current environmental problem and have been approved for use by the ecology and environment offices of Quintana Roo.
His unique perspective on the smelly seaweed inspired him to make something good out of something everyone saw as bad. His cleanup crew provided work for 300 families, and his SargaBlocks have been used to build structures around Jalisco. The UN Development Program has recognized Omar’s work as a stroke of brilliance. It has featured it in its Accelerator Lab global broadcast to inspire others to act similarly. Omar has donated 14 homes made of SargaBlock to families in need and is close to achieving his “Mexican dream.”