Poly-Wood's Lumber Division expands to include green initiatives

Casual Living Staff -- Casual Living, 12/8/2011 10:14:16 AM

Poly-Wood, developer and manufacturer of eco-friendly casual outdoor furniture, has announced the expansion of its Lumber Division.

Tim PletcherFounded in 1990 for the recycling of plastics into lumber and marketed under the brand name POLYWOOD, the division has undergone an expansion of its Indiana-based extrusion facilities and overall production capacity, including heightened sustainability efforts.

"Our goal in the expansion of Poly-Wood's Lumber Division is to better serve our current markets as well as increase our ability to explore additional segments and opportunities for plastic lumber," said Tim Pletcher, sales for Poly-Wood - Lumber Division. "However, throughout the construction expansion of our facilities as well as with the added production capacity, Poly-Wood continues to be committed to responsible manufacturing and positively impacting the environment."

Poly-Wood's Lumber Division currently is a leading provider of recycled plastic lumber for the outdoor furnishings and accessories industry. Other applications and sales avenues include manufacturers of durable and sustainable products for farming, marine, golf, landscaping, industrial and general construction. The expanded capacity of the production facilities is in response to the ongoing growth of the industry as additional product categories create demand for plastic lumber and related extruded products.

POLYWOOD lumber is created from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with UV-inhibited pigment systems and offers infinite recyclability. "POLYWOOD can be reground and melted into new products infinitely when the current product reaches the end of its usable life," Pletcher said. The HDPE primary raw material is derived from post-consumer bottle waste, such as milk and detergent bottles or other HDPE post-industrial materials.

"Within our manufacturing process, we have incorporated practices that are unique to our operation," Pletcher said. "One aspect is in our water usage during manufacturing as we have created a continuous loop of cooling water that eliminates the need for continuously pulling fresh ground water that ends up in drains." Additional green aspects of the extrusion plant include no-waste trail across the entire production flow including regrinding and reuse of plastic scrap.

For more information about POLYWOOD or the company's plastic lumber outdoor furnishings and accessories, visit polywoodlumber.com.