Carbon Dioxide-Capturing Bridges

In Rosmalen, the Netherlands, Paebbl and construction company Heijmans have launched the world’s first pedestrian bridge made from recycled, carbon-neutral concrete. The seven-meter bridge is built using 75% circular materials, replacing traditional sand and gravel with recycled concrete to reduce the need for new raw material mining and limit environmental damage. The project also replaces about 30% of standard cement with Paebbl’s carbon-storing materials, which speed up a natural process that locks CO₂ into solid minerals. This means carbon is permanently trapped inside the concrete rather than released into the air. The bridge alone is estimated to store 66 kilograms of CO₂, with each tonne of material capable of locking away around 220 kilograms of carbon dioxide over the long term. In addition, biochar made from plant waste was added to the concrete to further increase carbon storage. Interested parties can learn more about the design through Paebbl.

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