./   Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping
                                   Bobsledding on Bottles
    It took one million milk jugs and detergent bottles, but the site of the 1980 Winter Olympic
    Games now has new and improved platforms for bobsled, luge, and skeleton racing, in the first
    application of recycled plastic lumber specifically designed for a commercial structure.

    In preparation for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games, the Olympic Regional Development
    Authority (ORDA) of Lake Placid, New York, added three staging platforms to its
    bobsled/luge/skeleton run made from recycled milk and detergent bottles and reinforced with
    fiberglass. ORDA built one platform at the top of the track where the bobsled and skeleton races
    begin. The group constructed the second plastic platform further down the track at the launching
    point for the double luge races, and the third was placed  at the track's finish line where the sleds
    encounter a slight incline to reduce speed.

    These platforms are expected to remain in good condition for 20 to 30 years with minimal
    maintenance, far outlasting traditional wood. The structures do not require the protective
    coatings that wood demands to bear the wintery conditions. They have also passed rigorous
    safety tests and sub-zero temperature performance trials. "Feedback from athletes training up
    here has been good," said Sandy Caligore of ORDA.

    Besides improving the race site for the Goodwill Games, ORDA's use of plastic lumber supports
    New York Governor George Pataki's goal of building with green materials to limit pollution,
    minimize waste, and encourage recycling. The improved track may even  improve Lake Placid's
    chances for hosting future events. "This recycled plastic lumber has helped to make our
    combination luge/bobsled/skeleton run at Lake Placid state-of-the-art, and increases our
    chances of winning a future Olympics bid," said Ted Blazer, ORDA's president and chief
    executive officer.

    For more information on this and other projects, look at Plastics Resources's Web site:
    
United States Bivironmental Protection Agency
Cffice of Solid V\feste and Emergency Response (5306\Ai)
EFW30-F03-023
July 2003
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green

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