Recycled plastic bench with engraved lettering
Recycled plastic benches have an attractive feature that could help parks and other facilities instantly add more benches to their location.
That feature - engraving.
Many cities across the country manage successful sponsorship programs as an inexpensive way to fill their grounds with park benches.
Probably one of the most successful programs is run by one of the most recognized parks in the world - Central Park in New York City.
More than 4,000 of the iconic park's 9,000 benches were installed from their adopt-a-bench program.
What a great way for a city to save money on park furnishings. And what a great way for the public to honor a loved one or group in a highly visible way that can be seen 24/7. Plus providing a welcome place for people to sit is a nice service for their fellow citizens.
The great advantage of recycled plastic benches is that it is a fairly easy process to engrave letters in the memorial bench back.
Recycled plastic benches and picnic tables are manufactured out of HDPE #2 materials, which are sturdier than other plastics.
At the same time, the plastic is slightly malleable to the point where it is relatively easy to carve sponsor messages into the planks.
(To be clear, this function is performed mechanically at the factory and not something the public or park personnel should do).
Engraving into the surface has several advantages over a metallic plaque attached to the surface. Screws are not required, so you don't have to worry about rust and there are no edges to catch on someone's clothing.
There's also the possibility of theft. In Red Deer Parks in Alberta, Canada, 25 metal plaques were stolen from memorial park benches, much to the dismay of park personnel and family members. That won't happen for an engraved message on a park bench.
Recycled plastic bench character char
Number of characters per recycled plastic bench
People might wonder, how much text can you engrave on a bench?
Turns out, quite a bit.
A 4-foot recycled plastic bench can fit 28 characters (which includes spaces). When you consider there are three planks for the back of the park bench, that's 84 letters and spaces.
For a 6-foot memorial bench, there are 114 spaces and characters.
With a longer 8-foot memorial bench, there is a limit of 144 spaces and characters.
Of course, it's probably best not to create a very long message.
Something brief and to the point will be impactful.
But as we said, this tribute is one that will last a very, very long time. The message will be seen by quite a few people over a long period of time.
Recycled plastic benches see tremendous improvements in quality
Here's are some reasons why.
First, manufacturing processes for recycled plastic benches and picnic tables have made incredible leaps since the early days.
Today, the planks made from reputable recycling plants are sturdy and durable.
In addition, it's important that recycled plastic benches you choose, like those provided by the Park and Facilities Catalog, are made with 100% pure plastic scrap. Some manufacturers have been known to add cheap fillers such as sawdust which weaken the bench structure.
Our recycled plastic park benches are manufactured in the USA using the latest filtering and processing technologies.
In fact, for our recycled plastic benches, we provide an unheard-of 50-year warranty against rot, decay or termite infestation. This type of warranty is exceptional for site furnishings. The Park Catalog also offers a 3-year warranty on any of our products made from our 100% recycled plastic.
These recycled plastic planks won't crack or splinter. They are resistant to UV-rays and fading. Sanding or repainting is not required. The plastic is also resistant to spray paint and easy to clean.
As we said, those sponsor messages from an adopt-a-park-bench program will be around for a very long time.
Benches with a green message
This is also the era of sustainability. Many cities, colleges, universities, architects, builders, facility managers and others are part of the movement to practice sustainability with building materials, energy usage and other components. (In fact, projects can earn LEED credits under the Materials and Resources category).
Gray recycled plastic bench with letterin
Using recycled plastic benches certainly contributes to this movement.
Purchasing recycled plastic products is an essential part of the three arrows you see in the famous recycling symbol.
Those arrows stand for Collection (those bins families place at the curb), Manufacturing (taking those empty milk jugs and laundry detergent containers and grinding them into plastic pellets) and Re-use (creating new products, such as park benches, from the scrap).
If companies don't purchase those recycled plastic products, then all that effort in collecting all that plastic goes to waste.
Manufacturing with recycled plastic is much more efficient than using virgin plastic. The raw materials don't have to be extracted from the earth. We already have them.
In addition, a study by Stanford University found that one ton of recycled plastic saves 5,774 kwh of energy, 16.3 barrels of oil and 98 million BTUs of energy.
Plus, diverting all those plastic products to a manufacturing plant reduces the need to expand landfills. That ton of re-used plastic avoids the need for 30 cubic yards in a landfill for discarded plastic items, one-third of the size of a football field.
Recycling is also a major contributor to the American economy. The Environmental Protection Agency says the recycling industry employs 757,000 people earning and spending $36.6 billion in wages, which in turn generates $6.7 billion in tax revenue.
Collecting recycled plastic also prevents that plastic from becoming litter, some of which ends up in our drains and drifts into rivers and oceans, potentially harming wildlife for decades.
Using recycled plastic benches and other products is a win for the environment, workers and the public.
There are also many options when it comes to the variety of recycled plastic benches as well. For one, there are more colors instead of just the traditional cedar. You can order benches in black, brown, blue, gray, green, red and white.
Next, there are many different styles to choose from, including the look and feel of a traditional wooden park bench, but with plastic slats. The frames can be ornate or minimalist. Some frames are metal and treated with a powder-coating to prevent rust and corrosion.
Quality. Engraving. Environment.
These are three great reasons why promoting sponsorships for recycled plastic benches in an adopt-a-bench type program is one "green" alternative to consider.
Note: The Park Catalog offers some quick ship park benches made with recycled plastic in stock that can be shipped out of the warehouse in just a few days.