TABLE OF CONTENTS Recycled plastic is finding use as a wood replacement product. It does not splinter, rot or warp like conventional wood. It does not require preservation treatments and its lifetime can exceed over 50 years. There are now a number of plastic lumber type products available ranging from those made of entirely of one material, generally HDPE, to mixtures of plastic, wood, rubber and other materials. A number of factors are pushing the use of plastic lumber, especially in the USA where alternatives to hardwood lumber have appeal on environmental grounds. The market in the USA is estimated to amount to $10 billion [3] and the industry is expanding rapidly.
Although plastic lumber has not yet been approved for load bearing applications, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) are in the process of setting up standards to differentiate between plastic lumber suitable for decks and those with the strength to act as railroad ties and bear locomotive weights. A number of standards already exist for plastic lumber, for testing flexural or compressive strength for example. Generally plastic lumber can be used in applications where hardwood is used. This includes construction, marine applications (where it is especially useful as it will not rot and does not need to be treated with preservatives), docks, all-weather furniture and fencing.
High profile projects include a pedestrian bridge made of recycled plastic in Greene County, New York, USA and plastic lumber bobsled runs at Lake Placid, New York,...
