New recycled plastic benches installed on a Madeline Ferry Line boat
You may have noticed that the commercial site furnishings business is seeing a major shift from traditional wooden benches to the use of innovative and environmentally-friendly Recycled Plastic Benches.
This is taking place for a number of reasons.
Here are some of them:
Advancements in Recycling Technology: When manufacturers first started reusing plastic scrap and building products, there were many issues. The plastic sometimes would have a chalky surface. Or, the materials would start to flake and peel. And then there was the issue of durability. Many products made with plastic scrap would not last very long and essentially, deteriorate back into scrap.
That was the old days.
Today, remanufactured products such as recycled plastic benches are phenomenal. Advancements in the manufacturing process using recycled plastic scrap have come a long way. In addition, the manufacturers who tried to get by with inferior mixtures of plastic scrap and fillers, such as sawdust, have gone by the wayside.
Now, the recycled materials made by reputable manufacturers are superior in quality, tough and durable.
Recycled plastic benches added to ferry boat
Recycled plastic benches installed on ferry
The Madeline Island Ferry Line chose to add recycled plastic benches from The Park and Facilities Catalog to their ferry which sails between the towns of LaPointe and Bayfield in Wisconsin.
Their beautiful, spacious vessels provide passengers with incredible views of Lake Superior and many of the islands in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
The benches were added to the lower and upper deck passenger cabins.
The boat line wanted to add red benches to match the color of the existing benches on their other boats. They found them at The Park Catalog.
"The benches are a hit," said Robin Trinko Russell with the ferry line. "The red benches look nothing like our older ones, but they should be comfortable, easy to clean and maintain."
"We were glad we were able to supply Madeline Island Ferry Line with the right benches for their unique environment and the right color that they wanted," said Carrie Georgopoulos, Senior Relationship Manager with The Park and Facilities Catalog.
Reliability: While the term "scrap" might not evoke convincing images about the material used to make dependable planks for park benches, for example, this is actually the case.
Today, recycled plastic benches are built to last. For example, some of them come with an unheard of 50-year warranty against rot, decay or insect damage.
This recycled plastic has many advantages. Especially compared to traditional wood benches.
For one, recycled plastic benches can handle prolonged exposure to the sun and elements. They are great for wet or salt air environments because they repel moisture. These benches don't need to be sealed, painted or stained.
Wood fibers will eventually deteriorate under the sun's harmful UV rays, in addition to expansion and compression caused by ice, snow and rain and heat.
But this is not an issue with hardened, recycled plastic.
Recycled plastic is impervious to UV rays. The planks won't fade from exposure to the sun.
That plastic also does not splinter, crack, mold or rot. And insects won't eat it. Paint from graffiti vandals won't bond to the surface. It can easily be removed with automotive paint thinner or just sandpaper.
These park benches are essentially maintenance-free. They can be cleaned with just soap and water.
That means not only will recycled plastic benches last a long time, they will also retain their original luster and color for many years as well.
Recycled products offer many options
Variety: With recycled plastic benches, buyers also have a large number of options in terms of shapes and colors.
Order recycled plastic picnic tables in octagonal shapes for example.
Or, order a recycled plastic bench with a metal or concrete base.
In addition, there are now a variety of appealing colors available for recycled plastic benches.
Choose traditional cedar, brown or gray, or go with more vibrant green, blue or red.
And if you still want that traditional Central Park look, order a recycled plastic bench with an ornate metal base and arms that resemble a Victorian Bench, but features long-lasting recycled plastic planks instead of wood slats.
Adding recycled plastic picnic tables to schoolyards is an effective way to show students the end result of recycling
Practice sustainability by reusing plastic scrap
Sustainability: Protecting the environment is utmost on people's minds today. Many cities have actually created Sustainability Offices to direct employees to follow best practices for the conservation of resources and recycling of used materials.
Adding recycled plastic benches or recycled plastic picnic tables is a highly visible and effective way to show a town is following sustainability strategies.
Same goes with schools. What better way to teach students about sustainability then to show them products remanufactured with the common plastics their family uses at homes and recycles.
Teachers can show the students - those plastic milk jugs your mom puts in the recycling bin every week went back to use as this recycled plastic picnic table where you eat your lunch every day.
How convincing is that!
Because here's a key component that make sustainability effective.
Not only do we need to gather recyclable waste, but we also need to reintroduce products made with scrap back into the environment.
What good is collecting all those old newspapers, cardboard boxes and plastic bottles if we don't do anything with the materials? They will just pile up.
You've seen the three arrows in the recycling symbol.
They are meant to symbolize: Collection - Manufacturing - Reuse.
The great benefit is that not only do recycled plastic products from reputable manufacturers help the environment. But investing in these products is a wise decision because the quality is much better today.
Recycled plastic benches are a win-win for schools, businesses, universities, restaurants, parks and yes, even ferry lines.