Story highlights Earthships are self-sustainable buildings independent of all utilities

The first Earthships were designed in New Mexico, in and near the city of Taos

Walls are made from recycled tires, tin cans and bottles

The price of each one ranges from $250,000 to $1.5 million

(CNN) The ability to live completely off the grid is now a reality courtesy of solar homes, known as Earthships. The U-shaped buildings utilize local resources such as the sun and are made entirely of natural and recycled materials. The future of city living may be to not need the city at all.

"An Earthship is the name we have given a building or vessel that we use to live on this planet that is absolutely independent of all public and municipal utilities," explains Michael Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, who developed the concept.

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In the mountains of New Mexico, USA, Reynolds has built 15 cliff-top homes which, as well as providing a view, were designed to prove that the Earthships could be built anywhere.

At their core are walls made from old tires, bottles, and tin cans mixed with concrete, so your home leftovers are creating new homes. Even sewage isn't spared and is used in indoor and outdoor treatment cells for food production and landscaping. Leftover 'gray' water is also used to flush toilets.

"We were accused of running sewage through the living room," says Reynolds. "That was scary to people but when you see the pictures of what it looks like, it's no longer scary if you understand it."

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