Page 51 - Green Builder Magazine Nov-Dec 2017 Issue

flexible, not less, in terms of the types of plastics that are eligible.
Trex currently processes grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap, dry
cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, Ziploc
and other re-sealable bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, salt bags and
cereal bags into their 95 percent recycled decking products.
But not every plastic-lumber company can boast the same eco-
awareness. It’s important to read the fine print. Companies such as
TimberTech (https://timbertech.com) for example, use only virgin
PVC in their decking, resulting in a far less sustainable product
than Trex.
The same is true of roofing manufacturers. To my knowledge, there
is no U.S. firm selling roofing tiles with significant recycled plastic
content. One Canadian company, Moderne (www.moderneslate.ca),
produces a synthetic slate with recycled plastic scrap from industry.
The types of plastics used are not specified. DaVinci Roofscapes
does offer a composite roofing, but like TimberTech, they work only
with virgin PVC and “processed polymers” from manufacturing Sorting problem. An overseas company called Eco Tiles
(essentially PVC cuttings and scrap). TimberTech also describes makes attractive floor tiles from recycled plastics, but their
method of collecting and separating the right polymers
its product with terminology that borders on greenwashing: “We raises health and safety concerns.
use 100 percent pure virgin resins in our roof tiles to guarantee a
sustainable product.”
Why do manufacturers deal only with “virgin” plastic? They say it’s Instant Factory?
easier to work with and more consistent. But the American Society for
Testing and Materials (ASTM) has created performance-based industry
standards for plastic lumber products that ensure that recycled content In other parts of the world,
does not reduce the performance of end products (see “How Plastic reusing plastic in construction
Lumber is Tested,” page 50).
is an up-and-coming niche.
RPL: THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
In December 2001, there were about 30 manufacturers of recycled HIS SMALL MACHINE BELOW, which combines
plastic lumber in North America, according to ASTM. That number recycled plastic and sand to create roof
appears to have declined, but getting an accurate head count is tricky. shingles, has attracted interested buyers
The last major third-party report on the industry by the Healthy T from all over the world. Setup costs €25,000
Building Network was published in 2005. And activity by the Plastic ($29,000) according to the seller, Andrey Kolev, who is
Lumber Trade Association seems to have frozen in time at about based in Bulgaria. The company (http://plasticabg.net),
2007, with few updates to their listings or publications. I tried to
contact a couple of the resellers of plastic lumber, but at time of can make the moulds from a drawing; total prep time is
writing, neither had responded. The RPL business can be rough and three months. The unit requires 20 kW to operate and can
tumble. Many innovative upstarts have failed. make 60 pieces per hour. The total factory area required
For example, Correct Deck, an RPL company that made composite is about 215 square feet, not counting storage.
decking with HDPE had a factory in Maine, but ran into liability
issues—specifically related to mixing organic materials in the right
proportion with plastic and “capping” deck surfaces anti-microbial
material. (I installed one of their decks 12 years ago and it still looks
great—just a little spotting.) Consumers are extremely intolerant of
any discoloration in their surfaces.
The market opportunities for RPL have never been better. Sure,
there are challenges to using these materials. But when you factor
in the fact that plastic trash is ubiquitous, free and in overwhelming
need of a cleanup, the building industry could provide an ideal
solution. Imagine basements that never leak, lightweight roofing
with cradle-to-cradle credentials, impact-resistant siding and rot-
proof joists and 2-by-4s. All of these innovations are not only possible,
but available now. It would be great to see some more American
companies join the growing field of plastic lumber manufacturing. GB

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