./   Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping
                                                                              Story
                            Parks Abound with  Plastic Lumber

    Much to their delight, two Midwest state parks have discovered the long-term benefits of recycled
    plastic lumber as a construction material. In Indiana and Minnesota, structures made from
    recycled milk jugs are proving to be an environmentally preferable—and economic— alternative
    to wood products.

    To celebrate Earth Day 1995, Harmonie State Park in Indiana built a viewing platform and four
    bridges from plastic lumber. The lumber was made from 150,000 recycled milk jugs, all
    collected from Indiana residents, and the project was funded in part by a General Electric
    employees' charity group. The plastic lumber project not only supported Indiana's recycling
    industry, but provided a durable replacement for pressure-treated wood, which had come under
    scrutiny in the park for its potential to emit chemicals into the air and water. "The Indiana
    Department of Natural Resources has found recycled plastic lumber to be superior to treated
    wood lumber for certain applications because it is impervious to insects, does not rot or splinter,
    can be easily cleaned, and does not need to be stained or painted over time," said John
    Bergman of Harmonie State Park. "The savings in maintenance costs  make up for the initial cost
    of the lumber."

    In Anoka County,  Minnesota, recycled plastic lumber has replaced wooden tables and benches
    in parks across  the county, following a successful regional park pilot project conducted in 1995.
    Minnesota's Office of Environmental Assistance initially funded  plastic lumber picnic tables,
    benches, tire stops, planters, park signs, landscape edging, and a playground in Lake George
    Regional Park to test the quality of recycled-content products. According to Mike Jacobson of
    Anoka County, although each plastic lumber picnic table cost Anoka County $330 (versus a
    $150 wooden table), the plastic models are more durable than wood. The wood tables
    traditionally last 1  or 2 years in the park before they begin to rot and incur graffiti damage, but
    plastic doesn't rot, and graffiti is easily removed. "If someone carves on the plastic, we melt
    plastic shavings over the divots to erase the carving," he said. "Unlike on wood, if pens or
    markers are used, we can rub it out of the plastic with a cleaner." The plastic lumber benches
    are so successful  that Jacobson doesn't think they will need to  be replaced in his lifetime!

    For more information, view the Web page of Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance at
    .
United States Bivironmental Protection Agency
Cffice of Solid V\feste and Emergency Response (5306\Ai)
EFW30-F03-030
July 2003
www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/green

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