400 toilets used to make sidewalks

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BELLINGHAM, Wash., March 13 (UPI) -- The University of Washington's Greenroads Foundation is hailing a pair of pedestrian walkways made from recycled toilets as the country's first "Greenroad."

The foundation said the pedestrian walkways between Meador Avenue and Ellis Street in Bellingham earned the "Greenroad" designation by using low-energy LED streetlights, managing storm water with porous concrete and using a material dubbed "poticrete" due to it being comprised of crushed, recycled toilets, KCPQ-TV, Seattle, reported Tuesday.

Freeman Anthony, the project engineer, said he came up with the idea for "poticrete" when he heard a local charity was replacing old toilets in town. He said he contacted the concrete supplier and workers told him they would put the old commodes through the crusher and see if the resulting material was usable.

Anthony said a total 400 toilets were used in the project.

The Greenroads Foundation said it is pleased with the project and hopes to give more projects the "Greenroad" designation in the near future.

"I'm really happy where we're at with the Greenroads Foundation. I think the number of projects we're reviewing is about right," UW associate professor Stephen Muench said. "I'd like that number to grow in the next year, and I think it will."