The Taal volcano began spewing massive clouds of ash, steam, and gas a week ago, leaving nearby Binan city coated in fine grey powder.  

Environment officials did not just clean up the mess but decided to combine the ash with sand, cement, and discarded plastic to form bricks. 

Residents are collecting ash blanketing homes, cars, and roads and putting it in sacks to be sent to a state-owned factory. 

The factory can produce up to 5,000 bricks a day which will be used to rebuild schools damaged. 

The Philippines faces a waste crisis, with a report last year saying it uses a "shocking" amount of single-use plastic, including nearly 60 billion throwaway sachets per year. 

It is also plagued by some 20 major storms annually and regular, powerful earthquakes that together killed hundreds of people each year. 

Due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" zone of seismic activity, it also has periodic volcanic eruptions. 

Taal's jets of lava and 15-kilometer (nine-mile) walls of ash have sent more than 70,000 people into evacuation centers and prompted warnings that a far bigger eruption could happen at any time. 

With volcanic ash and plastic both in plentiful supply, the officials in Binan see their project as a silver lining.

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