News Earth

Recycled glass could help fend off coastal erosion

Coastal plants can grow in a mix of glass sand and sediment, a boon for restoration and recycling

A birds-eye view of two small circular islands surrounded by marshy forest. The island on the right is more sparsely vegetated in this image.

Researchers are monitoring these two islands to look for differences in plant growth. The island on the left is made from dredged Mississippi River sediment, while the other is an equal mix of ground recycled glass and sediment.

Franziska Trautmann

By Jude Coleman

In the 1960s, saltwater intrusion in a southeast Louisiana swamp killed the trees and plants that lived there.