Recycled Materials in Play Equipment

Playguide™ Bulletin No. 3

Responsible recycling involves more than picking upreclaimable trash and shipping it out of town. It alsomeans “closing the recycling loop” by using andcreating products made of recycled materials. Forcommunities, such behavior isn’t just politicallycorrect—it ultimately pays off in reduced disposalcosts for solid waste.

On the playground, using equipment made fromrecycled materials educates children and their parentson the benefits of recycling.

Let the buyer be aware

The hardest part of buying recycled products islearning how to tell the good from the bad. Youcan’t assume that every manufacturer is usingrecycled materials responsibly—but by askingthe right questions, you can be sure that you’remaking a responsible buying decision foryour constituents.

Is it really recycled?

“Recycled” products typically contain one ormore of the following materials:

� Post-consumer waste consists of steel andaluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles andother materials that a community’s residentsthrow away. Using such material isconsidered desirable because it otherwisewould end up in a landfill.

� Recovered material is equally desirable.This consists of reusable material that amunicipality or sanitation contractor hasseparated from appliances and other solid waste.

� Reclaimed factory scrap, such as aluminumtubing and steel trimmings, can be used tosupplement consumer waste and recoveredmaterial. Using manufacturing scrap in recycledproducts is important because it diverts suchmaterial from the solid-waste stream.

Don’t skimp on metal

Recycling of steel and aluminum has becomecommonplace. Every year, more than 69 million tonsof steel is recycled in the United States, and 88 percentof all U.S. steel consists of recycled material. Aluminumproducts have an average recycled content of25 percent, but they may contain an even higherpercentage. For example, the posts used in Evos™,PlayBooster® and PlayShaper® equipment are madefrom recycled industrial sources and not virgin-minedmaterials. Likewise, our Skatewave™ components.

Be picky about plastics

Today, plastic is widely used in playsystems–not justfor attachments like slides and tunnels, but also forbasic structural components.

Unfortunately, there are few playground industrystandards for “recycled plastic,” a generic term thatcan mean just about anything. High-densitypolyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene(LDPE) are the most commonly used plastics inoutdoor play equipment. Let’s take a look atthe various grades that are available:

� Purified fractional-melt HDPE is typicallymade from milk and detergent bottles. Itconsists of a single high-densitypolyethylene resin that has been groundinto flakes and washed to remove foodresidue, waste and adhesives. Only thenis the plastic used for molding orextruding. This high-quality recycledplastic is used to make the plasticlumber found in Landscape Structure’srecycled enclosures, slat-type roofs,picnic tables, and benches.

� Multiple-melt flow HDPE/LDPE is arung down on the durability ladder. Itcontains two grades of plastic, includingthe nonstructural plastic used in bagsand films. If the HDPE and LDPE arenot purified, cavities of up to 10 mm(.40") in diameter may be formedduring processing. Oils from foods oradhesives can cause deteriorationand eventual fracturing of the plastic.This material is not typicallyappropriate for playstructures.

“The hardest part of

buying recycled

products is learning

how to tell the good

from the bad.”

� Composites typically include50 percent LDPE and 50 percentsawdust or other secondary fiber,like glass fiber. Because thewood fiber is organic and absorbsmoisture, composites arevulnerable to moisturedeterioration, termite damage andfailure at low temperatures. This isnot a safe choice for playstructures.

Additives

Pigments, UV stabilizers and other chemicals are usedto color plastic, impart structural strength and improvedurability. In quality products, additives can representhalf the cost of recycled plastic material—which isanother reason why cheap plastics are unlikely tosurvive the stresses of play, weather and solarradiation. Always ask if additives are in the material.

Extrusion vs. molding

The two basic techniques used to form plastic arecontinuous extrusion (which results in lengths ofproduct that can be cut to size) and closed molding(such as rotational molding). Both methods have theirplace, but extrusion is preferred when making plastic“lumber” such as that used in enclosures, roofs andSkatewave™ components.

The benefits of continuous extrusion include the abilityto form a product of any length and fewer voidsfor more consistent strength. High-quality formedextrusion has a rigid skin over a fine, consistent cellularcore—a design that maximizes strength whilereducing weight.

The bottom line: value vs. price

In plastics as in so many other products, you get whatyou pay for. Saving a few thousand dollars up frontcan lead to high maintenance and replacement costsin a painfully short time.

Ask your play equipment manufacturerfor details

Manufacturers offering “recycled” play equipmentshould be able to tell you the types and sources of allthe materials used in their products. You may also wantto ask about the company’s own recycling practices.

Landscape Structures’ ISO Certification

Landscape Structures received its certification to theISO 9001:1994 standard in 1996 and to the updatedISO 9001:2000 standard in 2003. We received ourcertification to the ISO 14001:1996 standard in1998 and to the updated 14001:2004 standard in2005. Both standards provide guidelines forestablishing a company’s quality and environmentalmanagement programs.

� ISO 9001:2000 has a process-oriented structure, iscustomer focused and emphasizes continuousimprovement in quality.

� ISO 14001:2004 drives us toward operating in amanner that is environmentally conscious.

Our environmental objectives include:• Reduce scrap

• Reduce the generation of hazardous andnon-hazardous waste

• Maintain our current regulatory status

In addition, we also use less water and minimize theneed for special handling of waste water with ourstate-of-the-art paint line. We have also reduced ourpaper use by using electronic communicationswhenever possible.

For information on Landscape Structures and ourenvironmental policies, contact your local LandscapeStructures representative, or go to playlsi.com

601 7th St. South, Delano, MN 55328, Tel 763.972.3391, 888.4FUNLSI, Fax 763.972.3185, playlsi.com

©Landscape Structures Inc.

Printed in USA 755-2139