Cleaner Tech

Toilet Maker Plans to Recycle Plastic Waste Into Sidewalks

  • Japan’s Lixil makes paving material from used plastic, wood
  • Despite recycling initiatives, most plastic ends up as trash

Lixil Corp. Inax branded toilet bowls at the company's plant in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

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Lixil Corp., a maker of toilets sold under brand names including Grohe and American Standard, wants to tackle a different kind of waste: The millions of tons of plastic dumped into landfills or oceans.

The Japanese company has developed a new material that’s made from recycled plastic and wood chips and can be used as a substitute for concrete or wood in anything from sidewalks to furniture. Called Revia, it will be introduced at an event in Tokyo on Tuesday.