OCTAVIA NASR, CNN ANCHOR: The next time you pick up a can of soda you could be holding a piece of someone's future home.</s>ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: A group of families in South Africa has taken advantage of a new way to reuse old cans. Singapore's Channel News Asia traveled to Hanover, Germany to track down the details.</s>LEONG PEK YEW, CHANNEL NEWSASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For many, soft drink cans are disposed after consumption. However, to fully realize their value, a German engineer has sparked the idea of constructing a house out of used cans. His ideas have been in practice for eight years in Lesotho, South Africa, providing homes for many too poor to own one. Not only is it an effective way to recycle waste materials, it also creates jobs for many Africans.</s>MICHAEL HONES, ENVIRONMENTALIST: Another advantage which I can see is people are using it for small-scale industries, so if you want to start a small shop as a carpenter, or the</s>YEW: Mr. Hones' own house, situated on the outskirts of Hanover, was built in two days using 8,000 soft-drink cans. It's furnished with beds, tables, and shelves, parts of which are also made out of cans. And he says one can live comfortably for at least 20 years, and the house can withstand strong winds, or even an earthquake. Cool idea -- so before you crush the next can, think again.
Environmentalist Uses Old Cans to Provide Housing For Poor