That's an excellent and increasingly important question! The good news is that a significant shift is happening in public furniture. More and more park benches are indeed being constructed from sustainable or recycled materials, moving beyond traditional, resource-intensive options.
Many modern benches now use recycled plastics, often from post-consumer waste like milk jugs and detergent bottles. This material is incredibly durable, requires no painting or sealing, and prevents tons of plastic from entering landfills. You'll also find benches made from reclaimed wood (like from old barns or responsibly managed forests certified by the FSC) and recycled metal components.
The focus is on sustainability throughout the lifecycle: sourcing eco-friendly materials, ensuring longevity to reduce replacement, and often using recyclable components at end-of-life. When specifying benches, many city planners now prioritize products with high recycled content and low environmental impact.
So, while not every bench you see is green, the trend is strongly toward sustainable solutions. Next time you're in a park, look for benches with a slightly textured, solid-plastic look or tags indicating they're made from recycled content—you're likely sitting on a great example of eco-friendly design!