Last week I talked about how to live simply and decrease your carbon footprint living in a tiny house. Even better than buying a tiny house is making your own, and Michael Janzen is blazing a trail with his free tiny pallet house. Not only is his house made out of recycled shipping pallets, it isn’t costing him anything to build. And lucky for us, he’s sharing his plans so you too can build your own tiny free house.
You can save money, sharpen your DIY skills, and further decrease your environmental impact by following Janzen’s example of building a free pallet house.
Keep pallets out of landfills
Here are some disturbing statistics about shipping pallets:
- Approximately 40% of all hardwood harvested in the U.S. is for making shipping pallets
- About two-thirds of pallets are used only once before being thrown out
- 1/4 of all wood in landfills is from used pallets
You can help prevent deforestation and keep pallets out of landfills by finding creative alternative uses for them, like building a house. Pallets can be found everywhere. Once you start looking for them, you’ll see them scattered all over your town or city.
Contact a local warehouse, supermarket, or any business that receives large shipments, and get permission to pick up their used pallets. Most companies are happy to give their pallets away.
Plans for a free pallet house
Janzen has made plans for building a free pallet house available on his website. These plans are a guide for building what he calls a disaster preparedness and emergency shelter. Janzen says:
As hurricane Gustav plowed across Cuba headed for the gulf coast of the United States memories of Katrina and the potential displacement of thousands got me thinking. I wanted to do something to help. It occurred to me that someone else might find what I now about building with shipping pallets useful in the coming weeks and months.
With some creativity, you may find that shipping pallets can be reappropriated in other ways to build your own free tiny house. For example, I have a friend that has disassembled shipping pallets and used the wood to build roof trusses for his straw bale building.
Ultimately, you can help prevent deforestation and keep pallets out of landfills by using them to build creative housing.
Think tiny and free!
(Image credit: flickr via KGBKitchen)
It doesn’t look rain proof or weather proof to me, shouldn’t that be an essential for living on the streets?
Wow !! So simple, you wonder why it was done sooner. We have a significant homeless problem in Seattle. The best part, is we have nowhere to recycle packing peanuts, and they tend to go to landfills.
I think this is wonderful! Finally they are putting news about people make a difference not just doing shocking things.
I think this is wonderful! Finally they are putting news about people make a difference not just doing shocking things.
This kid is already more beneficial to mother earth than me… T_T
Way to go. This is one smart kid. Helping the homeless and the environment at the same time. We need more kids like this one.
This kid is already more beneficial to mother earth than me… T_T
Way to go. This is one smart kid. Helping the homeless and the environment at the same time. We need more kids like this one.
people like this restore my faith in humanity. and on top of that hes only 12! should be an inspiration to all of us.
Now why did you have to negate this story by commenting about Alfie Patten?
It would have also been interested in knowing what he invented as a 6 year old that won him that trip to Chicago…
this is one smart kid! i would have never thought of that
people like this restore my faith in humanity. and on top of that hes only 12! should be an inspiration to all of us.
Now why did you have to negate this story by commenting about Alfie Patten?
It would have also been interested in knowing what he invented as a 6 year old that won him that trip to Chicago…
this is one smart kid! i would have never thought of that
Not a very fire-safe structure by any means, but kudos to a teen who isn’t all about marijuana, video games, sex and badmouthing society.
Thats really nice.
Not a very fire-safe structure by any means, but kudos to a teen who isn’t all about marijuana, video games, sex and badmouthing society.
Thats really nice.
You call packing peanuts trash!!!! Oh, hell no. I want to see REAL trash. This idea just doesn’t cut it. Although I DO like the design, it’s far from being trash used to make a shelter.
You call packing peanuts trash!!!! Oh, hell no. I want to see REAL trash. This idea just doesn’t cut it. Although I DO like the design, it’s far from being trash used to make a shelter.
that was a cool house
that was a cool house
yea but its like ppl want 2 c giant half soccer balls in the middle of sides walks every where?!
yea but its like ppl want 2 c giant half soccer balls in the middle of sides walks every where?!
sorry the above comment was not meant for this page
sorry the above comment was not meant for this page
It’s a good concept to help conserve, and also get rid of some of the land pollution. I think that he should be rewarded more for such a creative concept.
It’s a good concept to help conserve, and also get rid of some of the land pollution. I think that he should be rewarded more for such a creative concept.
Good Idea. One problem. He said “by giving them easy-to-assemble shelter.” It obviously wasn’t that eay to assemble. Where are they going toget the tools to bend the metal and all the tape, plastic, and packing peanuts?
Good Idea. One problem. He said “by giving them easy-to-assemble shelter.” It obviously wasn’t that eay to assemble. Where are they going toget the tools to bend the metal and all the tape, plastic, and packing peanuts?
So sad. He basically built a fort. Kids make forts all the time from practically garbage. Call it a homeless shelter (an impractical one albeit) and he is awarded with $10,000 and a false sence of accomplishment.
This is what is wrong with America today that will dome us in the future. We need to do a better job preparing our youth to compete an a global scale. Which means much higher standards. We have one of the best education systems and incentives but we settle for mediocrity like this.
great idea ihope the homedome helps the homeless how would they get it is there a way i can help maybe by funding for materials or finding homeless that could use them
great idea ihope the homedome helps the homeless how would they get it is there a way i can help maybe by funding for materials or finding homeless that could use them
Max is an amazing kid!!! He actually has so many other interesting ideas as well. His home dome idea was entered in the 2008 trash to treasure contest at http://www.bkfk.com. BKFK(By Kid For Kids)runs a number of competitions for young adults and innovative kids like Max.
BKFK is now running Best Buy’s “Invent A Game Competition” that challenges kids to come up with ideas for a great online game. Winners get 10K and a chance to have their game produced by EA. Enter your idea and you could be winner like Max! http://www.bkfk.com/games/
So sad. He basically built a fort. Kids make forts all the time from practically garbage. Call it a homeless shelter (an impractical one albeit) and he is awarded with $10,000 and a false sence of accomplishment.
This is what is wrong with America today that will dome us in the future. We need to do a better job preparing our youth to compete an a global scale. Which means much higher standards. We have one of the best education systems and incentives but we settle for mediocrity like this.
great idea ihope the homedome helps the homeless how would they get it is there a way i can help maybe by funding for materials or finding homeless that could use them
Max is an amazing kid!!! He actually has so many other interesting ideas as well. His home dome idea was entered in the 2008 trash to treasure contest at http://www.bkfk.com. BKFK(By Kid For Kids)runs a number of competitions for young adults and innovative kids like Max.
BKFK is now running Best Buy’s “Invent A Game Competition” that challenges kids to come up with ideas for a great online game. Winners get 10K and a chance to have their game produced by EA. Enter your idea and you could be winner like Max! http://www.bkfk.com/games/
i think that is great,we need more people like him,that care about other people.
i think that is great,we need more people like him,that care about other people.
good for him but this is nothing new. people in 3rd world countries use anything and everything to make a house I know I have lived in one.
i think that is great,we need more people like him,that care about other people.
good for him but this is nothing new. people in 3rd world countries use anything and everything to make a house I know I have lived in one.
how do you breath in that
how do you breath in that
how do you breath in that
Buckminster Fuller — duh. Let me steal an idea and win 10 grand, jeesh—
Buckminster Fuller — duh. Let me steal an idea and win 10 grand, jeesh—
This kid is awesome!!!
This kid is awesome!!!
Buckminster Fuller — duh. Let me steal an idea and win 10 grand, jeesh—