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A Welsh start-up firm has constructed the first recycled plastic bridge in Europe.
Vertech has built a 90-foot thermoplastic bridge spanning the River Tweed at Easter Dawyck in Peeblesshire using entirely recycled materials.
The 50 tonnes-structure, which is capable of supporting traffic, was designed by engineers from Rutgers and Cardiff University's School of Engineering, with support provided by Cass Hayward LLP and Axion International.
William Mainwaring, Vertech's co-founder and chief executive, claimed that waste should be more widely used in the construction sector.
He told World Architecture News: "We shouldn't be sending so much of the UK's waste plastic to landfill nor should we be shipping it to China.
"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."
The government recently pledged to fund 39 innovative construction projects across the UK, including a unique swing bridge for residents in Lowestoft.
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