Earthships are 100% sustainable homes that are affordable to build and comfortable to live in. They offer amenities like no other “eco” building built to date. These are a few reasons why they can truly change the world.

1) Sustainable does not mean primitive

When people hear about sustainable buildings or off-grid living, they usually visualize primitive homes that have given up 21st-century conveniences. However, an Earthship offers all the comforts of modern homes and more.

2) Free food

Each Earthship is equipped with one or two greenhouses that allow for year-round harvests, regardless of the weather outside. You can also choose to build a fish pond or a chicken coop for a constant source of meat and eggs.

3) Smart water recycling

Even the driest of climates can provide enough water for daily needs simply through a rainwater harvesting system. ♲

• The roof of an Earthship is built to collect rainwater and send it to a cistern,
• the water is then filtered and sorted to sinks and showers.
• After use, the “gray water” goes to the greenhouse to water the plants.
• And after draining the plants, the water is pumped to the toilets for use in the drains.
• Finally, the “black water” is sent to the outdoor garden to water non-edible plants.

4) Heat and shelter

The most ingenious aspect of an Earthship is its ability to keep comfortable temperatures inside all year round. Even in freezing cold or scorching climates, the climate in an Earthship stays consistently around 22°.

• This phenomenon is the result of solar heat absorbed and stored according to the principle of “thermal mass” (obtained from the earth-filled tires that make up the supporting structure of Earthships).
• Large windows located in the front of the house, facing south, act as a greenhouse effect to allow the sun to heat the thermal mass.

5) Energy

Solar panels on the roof, or wind turbines, provide Earthship with all the energy it needs.

6) Freedom

With all your basic needs covered and no bills to pay each month, you are free!

7) Easy to build

Apparently, many couples in their 40’s are reporting that they built an Earthship all by themselves in a very short time (even if they had never built anything in their lives). Anyone can probably do it.

8) Economical

An elementary Earthship can be very cheap ranging from 5000€ to 50.000€ . Earthship technology can meet the needs of everyone, from the less privileged to the wealthy.

9) Made of recycled materials

Most of the materials used to build an Earthship are recycled. The supporting structure is built with discarded tires, filled with soil: If there’s one thing we’re not short of on Earth, it’s used tires!

The walls of an Earthship (which rise above the tire structure) are made of concrete to which plastic bottles, glass bottles or cans are inserted, allowing you to indulge in decorative creations.

10) Use your own creativity

The most important thing that an Earthship produces is the fact that it pushes people to think differently about the way they live.  It’s time to re-think what we consider normal!

Also, visit the:

• Eco-building volunteer projects – section
  

Earthship volunteer projects 🌳

Seeking volunteers to assist with building an Earthship? Post your listing here! If you have expertise in green building or would like to share your own projects, we welcome your contributions. Please reach out to us via email with your ideas and suggestions. Let’s work together to make a difference! 📧 ✍️😊