A fully-functioning electric car made entirely out of waste – including plastics fished out of the sea, recycled PET bottles and household garbage – has been created by a team of students at the Technical University of Eindhoven.

The bright yellow, sporty two-seater was designed and built by a group of 22 students in around 18 months in an effort to prove the potential of waste. The car, nicknamed ‘Luca’ by the design team, can reach a top speed of 90 kilometres (56 miles) per hour and has a reach of 220 kilometres when fully charged.

Hard plastics normally found in televisions, toys and kitchen appliances were used for the car’s body, while the seat cushions consist of coconut and horse hairs.

Project manager Lisa van Etten told Reuters: “This car is really special, because it’s made all out of waste. Our chassis is made out of flax and recycled PET bottles. For the interior we also used unsorted household waste.

The team of Dutch students expressed hope that car companies will start using waste materials. Production team member Matthijs van Wijk added: “It’s possible in many applications. More and more companies use waste or biobased materials in the interior, we want to show that it’s also possible to build a chassis out of it.”

Images Credit: Reuters

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living. She also offers content services to businesses and individuals at Rosamedea.com