| Alternative decking is a booming business. The | | | | peeling, discoloration, mold/fungus growth, warping |
| composite and pvc (polyvinyl chloride) decking | | | | and injury claims. Production of virgin plastic is still |
| industry has grown by leaps and bounds. Companies | | | | manufactured for decking and that only contributes |
| market the benefits as low maintenance, green | | | | to the already heavy use of petroleum. |
| (eco-friendly), long lasting and durable. They offer a | | | | PVC decking is a completely unsustainable product. |
| different choice to wood that sounds new and | | | | PVC is made from the vinyl chloride monomer, a |
| exciting. But is it too good to be true? Purchasing a | | | | known human carcinogen. The production, use and |
| product that is made from recycled milk jugs or | | | | disposal of this material release persistent pollutants |
| water bottles sounds like the environmentally sound | | | | that cause both acute and chronic health hazards. |
| thing to do (even at 30% or more increase to other | | | | The problem is you don't see it but it travels into the |
| comparable materials). Low maintenance is the main | | | | air, water and land and lingers long after exposure. |
| selling point for pvc decking but at what cost? Let's | | | | This invisible poison was declared a contaminant by |
| look at some of the details that these companies fail | | | | the Association of Post Consumer Plastics Recyclers |
| to address. | | | | in 1998. It actually interferes with recycling other |
| Composite decking will typically contain a plastic resin | | | | plastics. There are documented facts that it causes |
| (many times with recycled content) and a wood fiber | | | | cancer, impairs reproduction, causes birth defects, |
| (example sawdust or wood chips) in addition to other | | | | damages the brain, etc. The list goes on and on. |
| additives. There are many different types of plastic | | | | Unfortunately many people don't know this and what |
| decking with varying mixes and types of plastic but | | | | you can't see, can sometimes hurt you. Low |
| they all originate from petroleum, one of the two top | | | | maintenance is the main selling feature of this product |
| sources of carbon dioxide emissions. They also use | | | | but at what cost? Is your family's health worth it? It |
| fossil fuels in the manufacturing and transporting | | | | definitely is not recyclable, eco-friendly or healthy to |
| processes for these products. Unfortunately some of | | | | use it. A common complaint is the boards getting so |
| the companies have added fiberglass to assist in | | | | hot as to cause blisters on your feet. This material |
| improving the strength, durability and performance of | | | | can be easily replaced by other materials. Don't |
| the composite deck boards. Fiberglass has been | | | | expose yourself or your environment to this toxic |
| linked with pulmonary lung disease and cancer and | | | | pollutant. |
| can have similar effects to the body as asbestos | | | | Alternative decking will continue to grow but we |
| does. In a report released by the Healthy Building | | | | need to be educated on what it is and what it isn't. |
| Network, only 15 out of 55 plastic decking companies | | | | Sometimes what is new and exciting isn't better than |
| produced a product with 50% and greater post | | | | what you originally had. Wood is still the number one |
| consumer content and only one polyethylene. Plastic | | | | product for decking. Decking products such as ipe |
| decking with more than one polyethylene will be | | | | decking, tigerwood, cumaru, and garapa have |
| more difficult to recycle effectively. So those 15 | | | | benefits that far outweigh both composite and PVC |
| were more readily recyclable. The problem with | | | | vinyl decking. They are all 100% natural and require |
| recycling plastic lumber is that most of the recycling | | | | no chemicals to resist termites, mold, and decay. The |
| facilities are not equipped to handle recycling the | | | | competition has gotten bigger but I feel this has |
| plastic lumber. This is because the additives and resins | | | | benefited the lumber industry by increasing |
| cannot be recycled. The result? Composite decking, | | | | awareness of how to keep our forests sustainable |
| despite claiming to be eco-friendly, will still end up in a | | | | and utilizing what we have to the best of our abilities. |
| landfill. Composite decking has come a long way but | | | | Nothing will compete with the natural beauty and |
| there are still many lawsuits and complaints about | | | | recyclability of wood. |