New Plastic-Wood Composites Are a Great Way to Recycle

Submitted on Oct 9, 2009

Category: Buildings & Homes

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Don’t be fooled by a convincing faux finish – the “wood” on and in your walls, doors, window frames, decorative molding and outdoor decking and fencing might all be made with plastics-wood composites. Here’s why that’s a very good thing…

More and more architects, designers, builders and property owners are replacing 100 percent wooden building materials with a composite material made from recycled plastic and wood wastes. An important benefit of plastic is its ability to synergistically combine with other materials like wood, metal and glass. The advantages of using plastic-wood composites go far beyond finding a creative way to recycle.
For example, plastic-wood composites are lightweight, easy to install, durable, easy to maintain, resistant to weather damage and corrosion, easy to customize and incredibly strong.
Typical wood-plastic composites are made of wood from recovered sawdust, pulp fibers, peanut hulls, bamboo, or straw, as well as from a variety of recycled plastic resins, which bond and reinforce fibers. Commonly used resins include polyester, polyethylene, vinyl ester, modified acrylic, epoxy, phenolic and urethane.
Looking for motivation to recycle?  Remember that today’s plastic bottles, bags and product wraps could be tomorrow’s durable deck.  Plastic bottles typically go curbside.  Plastic bags and wraps can be brought back to many grocery stores that collect these materials for recycling.

Don’t be fooled by a convincing faux finish – the “wood” on and in your walls, doors, window frames, decorative molding and outdoor decking and fencing might all be made with plastics-wood composites. Here’s why that’s a very good thing…

More and more architects, designers, builders and property owners are replacing 100 percent wooden building materials with a composite material made from recycled plastic and wood wastes. An important benefit of plastic is its ability to synergistically combine with other materials like wood, metal and glass. The advantages of using plastic-wood composites go far beyond finding a creative way to recycle.

For example, plastic-wood composites are lightweight, easy to install, durable, easy to maintain, resistant to weather damage and corrosion, easy to customize and incredibly strong.

Typical wood-plastic composites are made of wood from recovered sawdust, pulp fibers, peanut hulls, bamboo, or straw, as well as from a variety of recycled plastic resins, which bond and reinforce fibers. Commonly used resins include polyester, polyethylene, vinyl ester, modified acrylic, epoxy, phenolic and polyurethane.

Looking for motivation to recycle?  Remember that today’s plastic bottles, bags and product wraps could be tomorrow’s durable deck.  Plastic bottles typically go curbside.  Plastic bags and wraps can be brought back to many grocery stores that collect these materials for recycling.

View ACC’s tips on recycling bottles and bags

View a list of plastic bags and wraps that can be recycled

View a list of bottles that can be recycled

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