That's an excellent and increasingly important question. We take the environmental impact of our park benches very seriously, moving far beyond just durability and cost. Today, the focus is on a material's entire lifecycle—from sourcing to disposal.
Traditionally, benches used virgin hardwood or treated lumber, which raised concerns about deforestation and chemical leaching. Our contemporary approach prioritizes three pillars:
First, we extensively use recycled materials. Many of our benches are crafted from post-consumer recycled plastic, often from milk jugs and detergent bottles. This diverts waste from landfills and oceans, creating a durable, low-maintenance product that never needs painting and withstands decades of weather. It's a full-circle solution.
Second, for wood benches, we insist on FSC-certified timber. This certification guarantees the wood comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. We avoid woods linked to tropical deforestation.
Third, we design for longevity and end-of-life. A bench that lasts 30 years has a far lower per-year impact than one replaced every 10. We also select materials that can be recycled again at their end of life, further closing the loop.
Our aluminum and steel components often contain high recycled content and are fully recyclable. The goal is to minimize virgin resource extraction and energy use.
Ultimately, choosing a park bench is a community investment in both aesthetics and sustainability. By selecting products made with recycled content and certified materials, we help reduce waste, conserve natural resources, and create public spaces that are not only welcoming but also responsible. We believe comfort and conscience can, and should, go hand-in-hand.