This month, the first prototype of the Recycled Park was opened in the harbour of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, a floating structure made from recycled plastic.

Recycled Park is an initiative to retrieve plastic waste from the river the Nieuwe Maas near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The plastic is caught using passive litter traps to prevent plastic from drifting to the North Sea. The traps consist of floating basins that separate plastic from organic material, which is returned to the river. Once the platform is filled, it is emptied and the plastic is sorted and recycled, in this case into the floating park.

The traps were tested and improved for the past year and a half. The Rotterdam harbour has a changing tide and flow direction, which made it hard for the first traps to trap the plastic even with an outward flow and wind. The current traps have been adapted to keep the plastic waste inside until they can be emptied.

The recently opened park is about 140 square metres (1,500 square feet) and consists of hexagonal parts that are attached to each other. The floaters contain various types of plants, grasses and flowers, providing shelter and food for animals and contributing to the biodiversity and ecology of the city’s harbour.

Aside from Rotterdam, in Ambon, Indonesia, two plastic traps have been installed, based on the Rotterdam model. They are made from local materials by local organisations.

The Recycled Park project is currently looking for new locations for more parks. Read more about the project here.

Photos: Recycled Park