Maintenance Free Decks
and Plastic Milk Jugs

For years, most of us have been setting our plastic containers at the curb for recycling. But, have you ever wondered what happens to your plastic milk jugs once they "go away" for recycling? Unlike glass, tin and aluminum containers, each of which is used to produce new containers of the same material, most of the plastic collected for recycling does not come back as a plastic bottle, tub or jar. Instead these materials are made into a variety of other products. One of the products that uses the largest amount of plastic is a variety of innovative plastic lumber products.

There are two types of lumber products using the plastic collected for recycling. One is comprised of 100% plastic lumber. The other mixes recycled plastic and wood fiber, forming a composite material. Plastic lumber is made out of recycled plastic. One square foot of plastic lumber uses approximately 25 recycled plastic milk jugs. A plastic bench can use over 700 plastic jugs. Composites, on the other hand, are made of recycled plastics and waste wood fiber or sawdust.

It is estimated that the aggregate market for plastic lumber products is $10 billion annually. As a comparison, the US market for pressure-treated lumber is around $5 billion annually. Jerry's, Home Depot and Central Lane Building Supply are a few of the local places where you can purchase plastic or wood composite lumber products. Availability of these deck products has increased 25% annually over the past few years and this trend will likely continue. Even the timber giant Weyerhaeuser has entered this market as a distributor.

Unlike traditional lumber, plastic and wood composite lumber needs virtually no maintenance or sealing. They do not splinter, rot, chip or warp and are impervious to insects. Like wood these materials can be cut, sanded and fastened using traditional tools and methods. Most plastic lumber and composites meet national building code requirements as well as A.D.A. standards.

These decking materials are not however, for structural applications. Advances in this area are happening though. The bobsled-staging platform in Lake Placid, NY for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games is constructed out of TriMax®. This material is post consumer plastic bottles reinforced with fiberglass.

These products should last a lifetime and come with guarantees ranging from 10 to 50 years. While they may cost more up front than traditional wood decks, you will realize a savings over the long run due to the lack of yearly staining or sealing combined with the longevity of the material. In the end, the results achieve the double bottom line. It is good for the environment and for your pocketbook.

You may not see these materials in everyone's backyard but you will see them more frequently. Plastic and wood composite lumber is being used as packaging products for industry, railroad ties, sea pilings, marine fenders, barbecue grills, playgrounds, trash receptacles, docks, decks, garden beds, trellises, planters, gazebos and stadium seats. Plastic lumber picnic tables are used in the State parks and composite decking is in place at Disney World, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Everglades National Park and the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Their resistance to moisture makes these materials especially suited for the Pacific Northwest. So if you are considering a new deck or are replacing your current one, think about plastic and composite lumber. In order for recycling to work the plastic you set out for pick-up needs to be made into a product with value and demand. Anything else would just be a waste.

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