Innovative Technology Using Recovered Materials
Plastic lumber was developed to utilize low-cost materials such as plastic grocery bags and wood chips or sawdust. Used as a wood alternative, plastic lumber offers several advantages over using lumber; it is long lasting, requires limited upkeep, and resists warping and decay. One example of how using plastic lumber can conserve and recover resources is a bridge at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. The construction of the plastic lumber bridge utilized 13,000 pounds of mixed plastics that otherwise would have gone to waste. This exercise in reuse trans- lates into significant natural resource conservation.