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From Waste to Wonder: The Material Changing Municipal Design

Wishbone-JEM-Lounge-Chairs-at-the-Muncipal-Campground-in-Logan-Lake-BC

Every day, tons of plastic waste are buried, burned, or forgotten. But what if those discarded materials could live again—stronger, cleaner, and ready to serve your community for decades?

Enter recycled plastic lumber: a material engineered from 50% post-consumer and 50% post-industrial plastics that puts the long half-life durability of plastic to a great use.

Each board begins as recovered waste—milk jugs, stretch wrap, industrial scrap—sorted, refined, and reborn through a precise extrusion process that produces uniform, ultra-durable planks. 

The Result?

  • A product that never rots, splinters, or absorbs moisture.
  • It outlasts treated wood by decades and needs no paint, stain, or toxic preservatives.

That means lower life cycle costs, fewer replacements, and less maintenance for municipal teams already stretched thin.

But the real story is sustainability.

Every pound of recycled plastic lumber keeps waste out of landfills and reduces demand for virgin materials.
Parks, waterfronts, and streetscapes built with it don't just look good—they do good.
It's not just an upgrade in materials. It's an upgrade in mindset.

Wishbone Recycled Plastic Lumber Limitations
100% recycled plastic (HDPE#2, LDPE#4, PP#5), diverted from landfills Low fire resistance
Very long life expectancy, 20 to 30 yearsModerately flexible, needs to be properly frame supported
Minimal maintenance requiredLimited color choices, cannot be stained for modifying color
Can be chemical high pressure-washed for cleaningModerate thermal expansion requires oval shaped mounting holes
Extremely dense (1,773 psi), will not compress
Color stabilized for decades, can be UV refreshed in situ
Absorbs nearly zero moisture (0.01%), will not crack or splinter
Extremely resistant to oil, mold, mildew, de-icers and insects
Very economical, lowest cost lumber option

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