Waste to Walls: Taos Locals Learn How to Build With Plastic | LOR Foundation

Waste to Walls: Taos Locals Learn How to Build With Plastic

  • Local Champion: Taos Initiative For Life Together
  • Date Funded: March 1, 2023
  • Grant Amount: $29,930

When local nonprofit Taos Initiative For Life Together (TILT) started repurposing plastic amidst the pandemic and turned waste into permanent structures, Taos residents began asking how they might be able to do the same. The requests became particularly urgent as the Town of Town had stopped recycling plastic and locals needed an alternative way to dispose of waste. Having built several prototype structures using a plastic baler, TILT recognized the need to share their knowledge with the community. And with a second grant from the LOR Foundation, TILT is now offering resources—including training videos, brochures, and workshops—that will locals use similar building techniques and recycle more plastic.

In The News

‘Putting Repurposing Plastics on The Map’ (Taos News, April 2024)

Contact our community officer in Taos. Meet Sonya Struck
Related Story Baling (and Building) in Taos
Taos County

When the Town of Taos stopped recycling plastic, a group of locals created an innovative solution: turning waste into walls. With a little help from the LOR Foundation, they’re poised to make a dent in the overflowing plastic. Read more

More Engagement, Environment Solutions
Engagement / Cortez A Welcoming Space Provides a Hub for Food Sovereignty in Cortez
Local Champion:
Four Corners Food Coalition
Date funded:
September 17, 2025
Grant Amount:
$5,541
Engagement / Lander Mobile Teen Programming Brings Fun Activities Directly to Lander Youth
Local Champion:
Word of Faith Family Church
Date funded:
September 10, 2025
Grant Amount:
$2,688
Engagement / Libby Audio-Visual Upgrades Give Libby Residents a Clear Voice in Local Government
Local Champion:
City of Libby
Date funded:
September 5, 2025
Grant Amount:
$24,000
Engagement / Cortez A Digital Projector Brings the Cortez Community Together
Local Champion:
Cortez Creative Arts District
Date funded:
September 2, 2025
Grant Amount:
$16,000
Engagement / Libby Picnic Tables Provide Quiet Spaces for Libby Elementary Students
Local Champion:
A group of Libby students
Date funded:
August 28, 2025
Grant Amount:
$450
Engagement / Questa Community Workshops Bridge the Gap Between Schools and Families in Questa
Local Champion:
Questa Independent School District
Date funded:
August 20, 2025
Grant Amount:
$9,998

Share an Idea

If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.

"*" indicates required fields