Understanding the Environmental Impact of Composite Decking

Today, the product’s environmental effect is more significant. Consumers are increasingly worried about lowering their carbon footprints and waste due to climate change.

Buying composite decking for a project may raise comparable problems. Choose the most eco-friendly choice.

Is composite decking eco-friendly?

We’ll examine composite decking’s environmental impact in this piece. We will also evaluate the environmental implications of alternative decking materials to composite decking as well.

Composite decking made of what?

Our composite decking is eco-friendly because it uses recycled plastic and repurposed wood fibres. This blend makes composite decking boards sturdy, long-lasting, and water-resistant.

They also have less environmental effect than other decking materials.

Some composite deck manufacturers use just 80% recycled materials. Our composite decking uses up to 95% recycled resources and 100% FSC-certified wood.

All FSC-certified composite decking timber must be responsibly and sustainably sourced. This makes our composite decking products more eco-friendly.

How Green Is Composite Decking? Pros, Cons

Composite decking is the most eco-friendly alternative, but like other materials, it has certain drawbacks.

However, the benefits outweigh the cons, and creating a composite deck might help the environment.

Pros

• Composite decking is made from reclaimed wood, so no trees are felled. This preserves trees and reduces composite deck board environmental effect.
• Composite decking is created from recovered wood and recycled polymers that are hard to recycle, reducing waste sent to landfills or discharged into the environment.
• Composite decking lasts longer than wood decking owing to its components. This means they need to be changed less often, reducing energy and material inputs for new decking. This also reduces landfill waste from wood decking replacement.
• Composite decking requires less upkeep and no staining or sealing than genuine wood decking. You simply need to clean it with soap and water occasionally. Staining and sealing products release less hazardous chemicals into the soil and water.
• Recyclability – Ecoscape will be the first company in Europe to offer an afterlife option for our composite products. Customers can return the boards to Ecoscape, which will reuse them to make wall partitioning boards, substructure, and pallet components.

Cons

• composite decking planks must be trimmed before installation, like wood decking. This produces many short decking lengths that are too short for composite decks.
• They may be used to make birdhouses, coasters, outdoor furniture, and planters, although some short lengths will go to waste.

Are composite decking materials environmentally friendly?

Other eco-friendly decking materials include wood, UPVC, and aluminium. Compared to composite decking, their drawbacks are substantially bigger and they don’t compare.

Even though none of these materials are as ecologically friendly as composite decking, let’s examine their merits and downsides.

Pros and Cons of Wooden decking

Natural wood decomposes rapidly, making it simpler to dispose of than plastic decking. It also implies wood disposal is cheaper than other materials.

Although trees must be killed to make wood decking, they may be replanted and sustainably harvested indefinitely. This applies particularly to firms who solely utilise FSC-certified timber.

Recycling and reclaiming—wood decking left over from a wood deck has several applications. It may be used to make garden furniture, fences, bird shelters, and more. It may be crushed into mulch or used as fuel to produce power after its service life. It may be burnt in fire pits without coatings or preservatives.

Sequestering carbon—sustainable wood sourcing implies more trees are grown than chopped down. This increases tree carbon sequestration, slowing climate change.

cons

Deforestation—many rainforests and old-growth forests are now legally protected, but irresponsible tree harvesting continues. The best approach to guarantee your wood is properly obtained is to select an FSC-certified provider.

Hazardous chemicals—most wood decking is pressure-treated. It’s inexpensive yet has drawbacks. One is that the pesticides and anti-rot chemicals incorporated into the wood harm the environment and your health. No pressure-treated wood should be burnt. It also implies these chemicals may be discharged into the environment if it is dumped in a landfill.

Wood decking requires frequent care to avoid rotting and mildew, unlike composite decking. Stainers, sealers, and chemical cleansers used for this are environmentally damaging and may enter the water table.

Pros and Cons of UPVC

Maintenance—like composite decking, UPVC decking doesn’t need staining or sealing like genuine wood decking.Thus, once installed, it requires no more chemicals that would be discharged into the environment.

Plastic decking is constructed without wood, thus no trees are cut down. It’s significantly more ecologically friendly, but the production procedures make it less so.

cons

Made from polyvinyl chloride, UPVC decking is man-made. Polyvinyl chloride production releases chemicals that pollute air, land, and water. This pollution harms the environment and health.

UPVC decking is seldom recyclable after its service life. It can only be disposed of in landfills or incinerated since it is non-biodegradable. When polyvinyl chloride is burnt, the hazardous chemicals used to make it pollute the environment. UPVC decking doesn’t biodegrade, thus it stays buried in landfills forever.

One last thought

Comparatively, composite decking is one of the greenest materials. All materials have drawbacks, but the pros outweigh them.

Although beneficial, UPVC and wood decking are less ecologically friendly than composite decking. Indeed, UPVC decking looks to be the most environmentally hazardous decking material.

Composite decking may be the most sustainable and eco-friendly solution for creating a deck.