Comments on: Find the plastic contest winner!

By: Clif

Clif — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:50:00 +0000

I know where 3900 plastic grocery bags went – see this photo I took at my local grocery store yesterday
http://cbplace.com/bench.jpg

I have seen benches made from recycled plastic “planks” that bow down under their own weight over time so the composition is very important.

By: Jena

Jena — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:31:00 +0000

I've been going to look in to this to so I can write about the recycled plastic edging that I've been using. I chose it because I hate the look of the traditional black plastic edging plus that is clearly not a good choice environmentally. I don't have the time or the skill to use real wood and really I wasn't going for that look anyway. I figured this was the best of both worlds as far as appearance goes and at least a little better than the other plastic alternatives. The only website I found just now is here.
I'll write more on my blog eventually with pictures. It didn't say on the label what % recycled material so that worried me a little.

By: Julie

Julie — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Yeah, it’s hard to really get away from making a decision that doesn’t have some negative consequences. I was thinking a concrete patio would be a good solution, but I know at least one of the ingredients in concrete is mined, so I no longer feel good about that. I think I would look for recycled lumber or building materials through a Habitat for Humanity or one of those recycled building supply stores.

By: GreenOfficeBlog

GreenOfficeBlog — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:50:00 +0000

Do you ever wonder whether so-called “recycled” products are really made out of recycled materials or not? It’s like the Diet Coke phenomenon..how do we know it’s really diet, and not regular? I know there are governmental standards in place for this sort of thing, but we all know how much the government tends to care about the environment. I guess my point is that plastic should just be avoided no matter what..just a thought.

By: nollij

nollij — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:35:00 +0000

About 3 years ago I changed out my deck for the composite plastic/wood decking known as EverGrain. It is made from sawdust and polyethelene and a small amount of coloring agent. The aged redwood deck that was there already had not been properly cared for by the previous owner of my house and my son was continually getting splinters in his feet (he was about a year and half old at this point and not picking up his feet properly). I agonized over buying new wood to build a deck, knowing trees would have died and I would constantly have to keep treating the deck with chemicals to keep it from deteriorating in the sun/rain. The makers of EverGrain claim that their product has recycled material in it, though they don’t say how much or what it is. It’s perhaps the next phone call for my blog (I’ve been calling companies and asking them to switch packaging and go to glass/ceramic/bioplastics). There is minimal swelling from moisture, it doesn’t rot, warp, cup on twist and it lasts a long time. What will I do with it when it wears out? I don’t know: hopefully there will be a solution for it at that point because as of now, there’s nothing you can do with it. Wood will rot away eventually unless you keep putting chemicals on it but there isn’t a truly “green” option for decking aside from not having a deck at all. I’m happy with the product, but I special ordered the heavier 2×6 boards because they provide a stiffer deck. I expect it to last quite a bit longer than a wood deck and so far it’s needed no maintenance aside from pressure washing once it gets really dirty from the overhanging trees. It’s a hard decision and if given the option, I would probably opt for a cement or brick deck/patio instead of a wood/fake wood deck.

By: hhwnano

hhwnano — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:37:00 +0000

the more markets there are for reusing existing plastic, the less new plastic will be created. I hope.

yes, the stuff might outgas or leach into the soil, but it’s going to do that somewhere anyway, and keeping it out of the ocean seems worth trying.

By: ruchi aka arduous

ruchi aka arduous — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:25:00 +0000

It's a complicated question. Ideally, everyone would be more like FPF, and we would have very few plastic bottles or bags to recycle, and thus wouldn't need plastic decking.

BUT, until the cult of Fake Plastic Fish takes over, I think it is important to have a market for recycled plastic for exactly the point that Erin mentioned. Because otherwise it goes to China and becomes their problem.

As for the plastic leaching into the ground, I think it's true that the wood will be treated with stuff that will likely leach and be more likely to leach over time which is of more concern I think.

And as to the wood biodegrading, the wood is only going to biodegrade if it doesn't go to a landfill. In a landfill, things rarely biodegrade that much. They have found pretty much intact food thats over 50 years old in landfills. Landfills preserve stuff pretty well and a wood deck will last hundreds of years, I'd bet.

By: Robj98168

Robj98168 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Well I used the recycled decking on my deck and I will tell you why-
1- I like the look
2- Never need to paint or stain
3- Didn't have to cut down pefectly good cedar trees for my deck (I hate cutting trees down)
4- Never splinters
5- Never rots
6- Doesn't swell/shrink as much as wood in the heat
7- wood gets mildewey on my deck- no mold or mildew problems

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:22:00 +0000

My only comment is my experience with plastic decking. I like the greenness of it, but it offgasses in the heat. Sitting on the deck in the summer, I would wonder how much gaseous plastic I was inhaling. Something worth checking on.

By: E

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:14:00 +0000

Neither is really a good choice. What about no plastic, no decking, no logging? Decking seems to me to be a modern, suburban addition to our lives. People have gotten by fine without it forever….