Image Credit: Vertech Composites

Commuters in North Carolina and Wales are the first to drive over two eco-friendly and innovative bridges. The bridges are made from recycled plastic waste made strong enough to support heavy traffic. The world’s first recycled plastic bridge opened in Fort Bragg, North Carolina a few months ago. 94 percent of the material used to make the bridge is recycled, including glass and about 85,000 pounds of high-density polyethylene plastic. That’s the same as half-a-million one gallon plastic milk jugs. The U.S. Army Environmental Command says the bridge not only diverts waste from the landfill, it also resists rot and damaging insects without chemical treatments.

In Europe, engineers have just completed a similar bridge made from recycled water bottles and sandwich containers. The bridge crossing the river Tweed in Wales was installed in just four days after being constructed off-site. The bridge in Wales was designed by U.K. based company Vertech Composites. Because it is made from plastic the company says the recycled bridge will never rust or require regular maintenance or painting. Vertech says the bridge is expected to last 50 years which would result in a savings of $300 dollars per square foot compared with bridges made with traditional materials.

Vertech hopes to make its recycled thermoplastic products more widely available as a replacement for timber, laminated products and other virgin materials. CEO of Vertech, William Mainwaring, says “With this unique technology we can now recycle it ourselves to produce increasingly sought after high quality and sustainable construction materials for the European market.”