Turning now to Mexico, where the communities worst-affected by last year's September 19th earthquake continue to pick up the pieces. Yet one group has come across an efficient way to dispose of trash. Alasdair Baverstock reports.

Situated on the slopes of Popocatepetl, Mexico's most active volcano, the town of Tetela del Volcan was devastated by last year's earthquake. Just fifty kilometers from the epicenter, many of the town's impoverished residents saw their houses collapse, and their lives along with them. Six months on, some of the worst-affected are still sleeping in the streets. A group of concerned neighbors led by Lucero Sanchez has been working on a solution.

LUCERO SANCHEZ TETELA RESIDENT "I couldn't stand to see people sleeping outside in the cold, suffering, while my own two children were sleeping in their beds under a solid roof. I knew we had to take action."

ucero enlisted the help of a post-quake emergency housing initiative. It constructs shelters from recycled plastic bottles filled with sand. Using donations from the local community, three houses have been built using only recycled material. Fanny Gonzalez and her young family now inhabit one of them.

FANNY GONZALEZ RECYCLED HOUSE RESIDENT "It has been a blessing for my family. Following the disaster, we were forced to sleep in a stable alongside my husband's animals, and the unsanitary conditions caused my children to become very sick. Today, we are very grateful."

The project continues, and Lucero hopes to build three further structures for affected families. 

ALASDAIR BAVERSTOCK MORELOS STATE, MEXICO "It takes fifteen-thousand recycled plastic bottles to build a forty-square meter house, that can accommodate a family of four. But, the most important aspect of these structures They are far more resistant to tremors than the traditional adobe walls which predominate in this region, a vital aspect for a town where nearly a thousand homes were damaged in last year's quake."

Another resident of these innovative houses, Mauro Garcia, says he now sleeps easier.

MAURO GARCIA RECYCLED HOUSE RESIDENT "We lost everything in last year's quake, and it has been difficult to start again, but we've experienced many smaller tremors since we moved in, and the house has remained steady, so we are confident about the future."

As desperate times call for desperate measures, many here hope that trash may prove to be the building blocks for a sustainable - and safer - future. Alasdair Baverstock, CGTN, Morelos State, Mexico.