Eco-Friendly Poly Lumber Reduces HDPE Pollution
Robert Banks and Paul Hogan invented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) while working for Phillips Petroleum in 1951. Their discovery would prove to have a useful impact in almost every facet of life. At the same time, due to its unique quality of extreme durability, disposing of HDPE in an eco-friendly way would prove challenging.
Like it or not, HDPE plastic products are here to stay in the forseeable future and we need to find eco-friendly ways to dispose of the billions of non-biodegradable polyethylene products that get discarded anually. The ingenuity of the American craftsman is helping resolve the responsible disposal dilema by seizing upon its extreme durability characteristic. Almost overnight the HDPE poly lumber industry has risen out of mountains of discarded plastic bottles.
With each passing year advances are made in the recycling processes to become increasingly efficient and environmentally friendly. Today the "poly lumber" industry is at a point where a strong case can be made that products made from HDPE poly lumber containing high percentages of recycled material are the "Green' choice. Below are 5 eco-friendly impact factors for consideration.
Billions of Plastic Bottles are Recycled into Poly Lumber Annually
High-density polyethylene is a durable plastic used to manufacture laundry detergent containers, bottle caps, milk jugs, and more. In the past these bottles were often discarded into landfills or dumped in the ocean, where they remained without decomposing for many years.
Since the rise of the poly lumber industry, you can now buy products made from HDPE poly lumber containing high percentages of recycled material. When you choose to do so you are encouraging recycling rather than the dumping of bottles in our nations waterways. HDPE poly lumber can contain up to 99% recycled material, which means less waste, and a cleaner environment in addition to the beautiful product you purchase.
It takes over 100 bottles to make a few board feet of poly lumber, and over a 1,000 to make an Adirondack Chair or a Garden Lighthouse.
When you buy products in recycled poly it is a win for you, and a win for the environment.
HDPE Poly Lumber Reduces Ongoing Landfill Waste
Those HDPE bottles that wouldn’t decay for decades after being dumped in the ocean can be an asset to our environment when they are recycled. Poly products made from recycled HDPE retain that extreme durability, which means they will last you a very long time.
Outdoor décor and furniture handcrafted from this superior quality poly lumber lasts considerably longer than inferior quality imports. While the initial cost of imported products may be less, you sacrifice longevity and increase the amount of waste being sent to the landfill. Paying more for a quality product Made In The USA often times is the better value, while helping with environmental preservation.
Using Poly Lumber Saves our Forests
Poly lumber is naturally stronger and more durable than wood, making it a better choice when exposed to nature on a regular basis. Poly can withstand extreme weather conditions and is unaffected by moisture. Read more...
Most wooden outdoor products reach their end of life somewhere around the 7-10 year mark. The realistic life expectancy of the same product when built from poly is several decades. Which is more than triple the life expectancy of wood.
So it stands to reason that if you purchase poly instead of wood, there will be 3 times less trees being cut down. At the same time you are saving our forests,
You are reducing landfill waste by providing an outlet for more recycled plastic.
Poly Requires No Harmful Chemicals For Preservation
Unlike wood which is porous and needs to be treated with paint and chemicals to prevent decay or insect damage, poly is a maintenance free product.
No harsh chemicals or paints are needed to preserve its beauty or protect it from insect damage.
Paints and pesticides are often toxic, and when not used carefully can be harmful to the environment. Therefore, eliminating the need for them by opting for a poly outdoor product over a wooden one is a “GREEN” choice.
Manufacturing HDPE Poly from Recycled Material Saves Energy
The elephant in the room with recycling plastic bottles was the negative impact turning them back into a viable product could have on the environment. Thanks to modern engineering, a process has been developed that not only allows for discarded plastic to be recycled but to do so with a significant energy savings over the petroleum to plastic process they were born from while reducing greenhouse gas emission. The bottom line is it takes less energy to recycle plastic than it does to produce it in the first place.
Evidence exhibit A is a study published by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), Washington, which bears this out when it cites significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy use are associated with using recycled plastics in the manufacturing of new products. Read more...
Research for this study was done by research consultants Franklin Associates, a division of ERG, Lexington, Massachusetts. In 2011 the company completed a study of recycled resin. More recently they broadened the scope to examine the recycling processes for 3 of the most common types of plastics being recycled today: PET, HDPE and polypropylene (PP).
The results of those findings indicate, using recycled plastic when manufacturing plastic products reduced total energy consumption by:
- 88 percent for HDPE
- 79 percent for PET
- 8 percent for PP
Using recycled plastics also reduced emissions by:
- 71 percent for HDPE
- 67 percent for PET
- 71 percent for PP
Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions simultaneously while recycling discard HDPE bottles into viable products is a win, win for humanity and the environment.
How Can You Help?
The use of high-density polyethylene continues to rise, how can you help with HDPE pollution?
- Recycle
- Encourage Others To Recycle
- Buy Poly Lumber Products Containing Recycled Material
Manufacturing poly lumber is big business, but it is just that, an industry that needs to be profitable. In the United States it is the readily available recycled plastic that makes it both profitable and environmentally friendly. You can help at both ends of the journey by recycling your HDPE plastics and opting for poly lumber products when you make a purchase.
