A new 'floating park' made out of recycled plastic waste has popped up in the Netherlands

In Rotterdam, a city on the Netherland's North Sea coast, there's a fascinating new public space made out of recycled materials for the residents to enjoy — and it's built over water.

Rotterdam's Floating Park — which is now open to visitors, though the park is just a prototype of what may become a much larger installation — is made out of plastic recycled from Rotterdam's waterways. The recycled plastic is constructed into hexagonal pods, which mimic the landscape of Rotterdam's Maas River before humans altered the landscape, according to the Recycled Island Foundation, the group behind the park. 

The pods can be used to create gardens, as habitat for wildlife, or for chilling out, and they can be molded into different seating arrangements.

On top of that, plastic dumped into the city's canals is collected by "litter traps" which prevent plastic from flowing into the ocean. The Recycled Island Foundation hopes plastic from these traps can be recycled to construct new floating parks. 

Below, check out some pictures of the prototype park, which opened on July 4th:

The 1,500 square foot prototype park is an excellent spot to meet friends, soak in the sun, or just chill out.

The park is entirely constructed out of plastic waste and trash gathered by a team of volunteers and students over a year-and-half, according to the Recycled Island Foundation.

While the park is just a prototype, it's open to the public.

It's not just for humans, either. The Recycled Island Foundation says the park's plastic hexagons were designed to be prime habitat for native waterbirds, plants, fish, and even algae.

Along with creating a new habitat, the floating park includes litter traps that prevent further plastic waste from entering the ocean.

Here's how it works. Plastic is collected by litter traps deployed along the river. That plastic is processed into building material, which is then used to construct the park.

Here's to more cities take a closer look at how they can recycle their waste into beautiful public spaces.

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