While tourists visiting Mexican beaches often complain about the presence of large quantities of sargassum seaweed, one Mexican gardener named Omar de Jesús Vázquez Sánchez saw it as an opportunity rather than a nuisance.
Recognizing the environmental challenge posed by the accumulating seaweed – sometimes as much as 40,000 tons – and its negative impact on tourism considering it smelled like rotten eggs, Omar decided to convert this natural resource into a sustainable building material. His innovative approach has since gained recognition from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a stroke of brilliance, highlighting the potential of this solution in addressing both environmental and social issues.
In places like Cancun, governments have been grappling with the task of removing all the sargassum seaweed. Rather than allowing it to end up in landfills, Omar decided to take matters into his own hands. He founded the company SargaBlock, which transforms the seaweed into adobe-like building blocks.
Omar’s journey towards this innovative solution began in 2015 when he found himself working as a laborer cleaning up sargassum on the beaches of the Riviera Maya. Born into poverty, he immigrated to the United States as a child and became a day laborer.
However, battling substance abuse, he realized that the American dream did not resonate with him as strongly as the “Mexican dream” – a combination of his childhood memories and aspirations of working as a gardener in his homeland. With this vision in mind, Omar made the decision to return to Mexico.
In a translated interview with Christian Science Monitor, Omar shared, “When you have problems with drugs or alcohol, you’re viewed as a problem for society. No one wants anything to do with you. They look away.”
“When sargassum started arriving, it created a similar reaction. Everyone was complaining, I wanted to mold something good out of something everyone saw as bad,” he added.
Omar’s experience as an immigrant and former substance abuser gave him a unique perspective on the problem of seaweed accumulation. While others saw it as a nuisance, he recognized its potential as a valuable resource. By repurposing the seaweed into building blocks, he not only addressed the environmental challenge but also found a way to contribute to his community and create a sustainable business.
Omar’s cleanup efforts not only provided employment for 300 families but also led him to discover the potential of sargassum in brick-making. The SargaBlocks he produces contain 40% sargassum, and since 2021, he has utilized nearly 6,000 tons of this pungent seaweed to manufacture bricks that have been used in various structures across the state of Jalisco.
The ecological and environmental authorities in Quintana Roo, the legislative region encompassing Cancun, have granted approval for the use of SargaBlocks. These organic-based bricks have been deemed capable of withstanding up to 120 years. Recognizing the value and ingenuity of Omar’s work, the UN Development Program selected it to be featured in their global broadcast through the Accelerator Lab, aiming to raise awareness about its significance to the world.
The UNDP believes that there are numerous naturally-occurring pollutants or burdens that can be harnessed for construction purposes. By showcasing Omar’s innovative approach to addressing the Caribbean’s sargassum problem, they hope to inspire others to take similar actions.
Bricks and cement can serve as excellent means to utilize naturally-occurring materials that are hazardous or burdensome. For example, a Filipino community has been using volcanic ash from eruptions to produce bricks, demonstrating another creative and sustainable approach to construction.
In the process, Omar has also been able to donate 14 “Casas Angelitas” – houses made of SargaBlock – to families in need, allowing him to get very close to achieving his “Mexican dream.”
See more about Omar and his amazing work in the video below.
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