A rare bogland habitat in Scotland has been protected thanks to a boardwalk made from recycled plastic bags and bottles.
Langlands Moss near East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire is a lowland raised bog habitat on the outskirts of Glasgow which is now crisscrossed by a 374m-long raised boardwalk made from Duraplas recycled plastic planks and posts supplied by Centriforce Products.
The Moss is a designated nature reserve, attracting 12,000 visitors every year from schools and local community groups to university researchers interested in its rare flora and fauna.
Since 2006 it has been watched over by The Friends of Langlands Moss who have worked hard to nurture and protect its special environment.
“The old boardwalk was deteriorating and was getting slippy and on the verge of being unsafe,” said Maureen Potter, a local East Kilbride resident and founding member of the Friends group.
“We have been working hard for a number of years to improve the hydrology and pathways around the Moss, but this is the biggest project we have yet attempted.
“We soon realised that a recycled plastic boardwalk was the ideal option for the wet environment, as it will not rot. The boardwalk fits well into the landscape.
"Visitors are amazed when they find out it's made from recycled plastic and it's a real bonus that we can tell them it's made from plastic waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill.”
The walkway was opened well-known geoscientist and broadcaster, Prof Iain Stewart, who comes from East Kilbride.