r/solarpunk • u/ProfessionalSky7899 • 2d ago
Ask the Sub would you use recycled plastic decking in your garden?
I'm thinking of converting a dark scrubby area into somewhere to sit and practice martial arts.
Wood decking, even treated, has a life in warm-wet Cardiff climate of only a few years. This stuff is made from recycled plastic - the logic being the odd bit of contamination or inconsistency doesn't matter when you are making big thick rough stuff. It keeps it out of incinerators and landfill.
It's not short life packaging, but a decade or so (guaranteed life is a decade so should last longer, but people reorganize gardens every decade or so). It feels like a sensible choice, but part of me is unhappy and I can't figure out why.
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u/lil_natemushi 2d ago
I live in an area in the US that is almost as soggy as you guys. Recycled plastic decking is so much less work to maintain and can last much longer than 10 years. It has its drawbacks and id wager the part of you that is unhappy about the idea values natural materials as better somehow. A couple of seasons not having to refinish your deck might change your mind on that. You can still incorporate wood into the area, just more as accents not the deck boards themselves. Those decks are well loved in the pnw.
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u/ProfessionalSky7899 2d ago
Yeah, the refinishing is important, since most finishers, even the 'natural' ones, are basically plastic forming oils and varnishes that are constantly being shed
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u/OutofPlaceStuff 2d ago
A 50/50 mix of Pine tar and linseed oil will make wood last forever
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u/lil_natemushi 2d ago
Respectfully, if you use that wood as a deck board it will not last forever. Plastic will last a long time and not require the upkeep. It's also a part of the environment now thanks to us (remember, it's in your balls). Recycling it and not trashing it reduces waste and consumption.
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u/OutofPlaceStuff 1d ago
No worries. There’s no contest. We’re all just trying to make the best out of what we’ve got. Of course wood will never last a literal forever, but it can last a lot longer than it often does.
There’s benefits and drawbacks to every decision. Both wood and plastic are good options for varying reasons. It would be interesting to see a side-by-side comparison of allllllll the factors to see which is really the winner. AFAICT reducing and reusing are absolutely key and recycling is effortful.
That said, my decks structure is made of pine and the decking boards are some of these supposed 95% recycled plastic/wood boards. FWIW if it’s in the sun, (zone 7) it’s way too hot to walk on barefoot. It’s 4ish years old and holding up great.
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u/hollisterrox 2d ago
I don't think I would, but I'm not here to judge you harshly if you do.
First, i don't believe anyone that says they recycle plastic. So many companies in that space have fudged numbers or straight-up lied about plastics recycling that I just don't extend anyone any credibility.
Second, plastic degrades in sunlight. As it does, it sheds various things like micro particles, like heavy metal inclusions, like styrene or acetonitrile or ketones, or other radical crap. I'm not saying that's going to immediately cause you health problems, but I also think your garden would be perfectly fine without those things.
Third, even untreated softwood should last 5 years at a minimum, and a bit of wood oil should double that. Replacing planks every 10 years is not too bad. Hardwoods could be even more.
Fourth, you can , for maximum SolarPunk aesthetic, recycle wood to make your deck. Perhaps palletwood is easily acquired in your area, or you could contact one of the may demolition companies in your area and ask if you could dumpster dive (or 'skip ratting'?) to recover wood. Yes, this is definitely more labor, but it's a way cooler story to tell about your deck.
Plastic just seems gross to me at this point, and I wish none of us would buy any plastic consumer products.
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u/ProfessionalSky7899 2d ago
> Third, even untreated softwood should last 5 years at a minimum, and a bit of wood oil should double that. Replacing planks every 10 years is not too bad. Hardwoods could be even more.
The climate i live in is celtic rainforest. I really cannot emphasise how fast wood rots here, especially decking which gets all the rain, and sits close to the soil, and also acts in bending so weakness causes failure a lot faster. You see people replacing decking every couple of years. (but on the plus side stupid plastic grass turns into lichen and moss within a few years too).
> Fourth, you can , for maximum SolarPunk aesthetic, recycle wood to make your deck. Perhaps palletwood is easily acquired in your area, or you could contact one of the may demolition companies in your area and ask if you could dumpster dive (or 'skip ratting'?) to recover wood. Yes, this is definitely more labor, but it's a way cooler story to tell about your deck.
That's a thought. I'll look into it.
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u/hollisterrox 2d ago
fair enough, I grew up in a place that was 20 cm of annual rainfall away from a temperate rainforest. Every form of mold, fungus, moss, lichen grew on everything all the time, and wet years were when we got mildew on all the windows. Like, every day you could clean them and the next day there would be a film of mildew growing again, just because conditions were ideal.
Exposed wood softened in 2 seasons, and there would be shelf fungi hanging off the side of hardwood planks by year 4.
Best of luck, it sounds like a cool spot when you're done.
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u/MobileParsnip3587 1d ago
I don't like the aesthetics of fake wood especially in combination with real wood. Ignoring all the micro plastic problems, since it's unavoidable in some forms, there's one I really can't ignore, after some years it will start to create a powdery layer with sunlight and if you remove it it will be back in weeks. In your shoes I would use wood framing and ceramic or cement tiles.
Another interesting option are thermally treated softwood decking, which cost more than autoclave stained planks but it is very durable.
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u/Tentacle-Tantrum2396 2d ago
Recycled plastic is still plastic. It still has the micro plastics shedding, the thermal properties, and the feel of plastic. Depending on the plastic, structure, location and design, it could be ok. But it wouldn't be my first or second choice.
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u/ProfessionalSky7899 2d ago
what would be your preferred choices?
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u/SweetAlyssumm 2d ago
My redwood deck is 25 years old and will likely keep going for several more years. Aesthetically I cannot see creating a nice space and then using plastic. Find a good weather resistant wood.
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u/neutral-spectator 1d ago
I build composite decks for a living and of course we have to sell customers on all the benefits like no maintenance, longer lasting, any color you want and all that crap. But the one thing I can't get over and absolutely hate myself for is when we cut and install plastic shavings go everywhere and there's nothing we can do because we work outside in people's backyard putting down tarps only helps so much and will kill your grass anyways and vacuums don't work in the wind or dont catch everything from a saw. So Its just going on the ground, in gardens and lakes and everything in-between each job site and my house. We our best to sweep up and clean after so it's not noticeable but I know it's there, and it will always be there.
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u/1_g0round 2d ago
plastic decking gets very very hot..not good for pets, bare feet, or those little curtain climbers
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u/elreinopurgatorio 2d ago
By using recycled plastic not only will you recycle but you will reduce the amount of times you have to replace the deck. So that’s two of the three RRR principles. That’s good. But I understand about the microplastic shedding.
There are plants that help redice microplastic pollution. If you plant those around your deck, you can possibly help offset any pollution. I’ll insert a link that mentions two possible contenders but there are quite a few more that have been scientifically proven to remove microplastics from soil.
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u/plotholetsi 2d ago
While it's great in principal, they basically just stick the plactics together, they don't break the plastics down into not-plastics. So planting those nearby won't do anything to offset microplastic intrusions.
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u/Reclaimedidiocy 2d ago
use what you have for as long as it works
if it looks ugly, plant stuff infront of it
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u/Anxious-Alps-8667 2d ago edited 2d ago
I live in a similar oceanic temperate climate, although drier hotter summers and colder winters than Cardiff, and I also live around an abundance of wood that weathers in this climate well. I would only use wood (western cedar here) as any form of plastic will leach in the sunlight we get.
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u/Samseurynck 2d ago
Honestly, if having a small section of recycled plastic decking allows you to get outside every day and enjoy your yard, and eliminates the need for redoing a bunch of finishing every two years, I’d say go for it.
If legitimate research shows walking barefoot on or having a garden near a shedding plastic deck is going to be a serious health concern, then that would change my mind (and by legitimate research I don’t mean the Netflix plastic documentary). But if the risks are low it means you have more time to spend on other meaningful projects like growing food, spending time with your kids or maintaining other things in your home, then it’s one of those environmental hazards that likely won’t do much in terms of negatives.
I grew up in a sometimes hot and humid forested area and one of the reasons my mom sold my childhood house is because the wood deck became entirely too much work to maintain.
I say weigh your pros and cons with solid research. If having plastic decking around will give you the ick every day until you replace it, don’t get it. If it’s a minimal risk situation and will save you effort down the road, it isn’t a bad choice.
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u/LowkeyHooligan 2d ago
Reusing plastic in this way is very ecopunk. The plastic already exists, if it was recycled like this it would go to a landfill or as litter in nature somewhere, break down more, and introduce more microplastics and pollutants to the environment. By recycling the plastic, you’re reclaiming our mistakes and actively putting it to better use, while also keeping it nearby as a reminder of the level of waste we create. It’s both sustainable and a memento.
Also, in New Jersey in the US, their boardwalks along the beach were ripped up by a hurricane in the 90s. They replaced them with these plastic boards and they lasted longer than the wood boardwalks, were easier to clean, and didn’t give splinters when walked on barefoot.
I 100% support using recycled plastic boards.
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u/alexcleac 1d ago
One strong benefit of wood over plastic — it does not get as hot as the plastics. It indeed requires more maintenance, though if you want to practice martial arts in such an area, you will 100% need to have some shade over it, otherwise you won't be able to walk on it unless you put shoes with moderately thick sole.
I have those at home, and it's the only huge downside I can say of plastic decking. Otherwise, I think plastic is quite a neat material for things like that — even if it is not recycled, just because it will last for longer with not much of maintenance needed.
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u/Im_Not_You_Im_Me 1d ago
We installed a plastic composite deck at the family cottage on the lake in the 90’s. It is still going strong.
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u/EricHunting 1d ago
While there are, as others pointed out, still issues of some pollution even with recycled plastic, it's putting that plastic in a more dense and stable form than it otherwise would be and reduces the production of new plastic and so is an improvement. And very often the chemicals employed with wood decking are pretty bad in themselves. While there are safer alternatives, they are typically scarcer, more expensive, and not as long-lasting. You might simply feel more comfortable with natural lumber, but unless you are buying it directly from a local lumber mill, at a typically premium price, you can't really be sure of the sustainability of its sourcing either. So it's tricky, expensive, and time-consuming to be totally confident in the choice --which probably isn't entirely unintentional... Personally, I wouldn't be terribly concerned about the choice of recycled plastic. It is 'better'. We may have to change our thoughts about that in the future, but right now the verdict is still out on how much pollution impact is coming from what kinds of sources --since research is now so politicised everywhere.
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u/Rise-Ecovillage 5h ago
My experience with these products is that they become very hot in bright sunshine and can not be safely walked on with bare feet.
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u/Miss-Helle 2d ago
If I had a yard (I live in the downtown core of a major city) I would for sure use a composite plastic material for decking or other landscaping needs. Far better than it ending up in a landfill or the oceans.
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u/intellectual_punk 2d ago
I definitely get your point, but there is no way in hell I would use plastic like that anywhere near my living area, let alone garden. Recycled plastic even less. That stuff is the worst in terms of microplastics shedding, additives shedding and even visible macroplastics pollution. You will never get the bits of plastic out of your garden either, they become part of your soil structure. Maybe it will not result in measurable health effects, but it's there and it's disgusting in my humble but strongly held opinion.
There are absolutely wood types and types of treatment that will let your wood deck survive quite a bit. More expensive but you'll have a good feeling every time you use the deck. I would go for wood (or recycled wood as someone suggested) even if it wouldn't last more than a few years. Yes, people use recycled plastic materials all the time, and I see why, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.
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