by Rebecca de Vaux
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- Europe’s first road bridge made from recycled plastic has been erected over the River Tweed in Wales (GreenWiseBusiness.co.uk, 21 October 2011).
- Created by Welsh startup Vertech Ltd, the 30-metre bridge was built using recycled thermoplastic technology and 500 tons of recycled plastic bottles.
- The eco-friendly bridge is rust-proof and requires no paint, making it low maintenance too.
- The unique recycled thermoplastic technology offers an alternative to landfill or shipping waste abroad. According to Vertech co-founder and CEO William Mainwaring, this unique eco-science means waste can be recycled “to produce increasingly sought-after high quality and sustainable construction materials for the European market.”
- Vertech also plans to make green sheet substitutes for plywood and laminate products to be made available throughout Europe in 2012.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Eco-conscious UK consumers welcome innovative ways with waste to provide sustainable building and home-improvement solutions. Reduced landfill makes a more pleasant environment for everybody.
- UK consumers are hot on recycling. Practical constructions using recycled waste show consumers what combined recycling efforts can achieve.
RESOURCES
