In 1995, New York turned discarded milk jugs and detergent bottles into a pier deck; 2 years later, the recycled plastic had held its key engineering properties

Discarded plastic bottles are often associated with a long-lasting waste problem, but in the 1990s, researchers and manufacturers began exploring whether the same material could serve as a durable alternative to timber. In December 1995, recycled plastic lumber was used to build part of a pier in Old Field, New York. The structure provided a chance to test how the material held up under real outdoor conditions, including sunlight, rain and changing water levels.

From household plastic waste to pier decking