Introduction

Nowadays, as people increasingly seek to enhance their outdoor spaces while embracing sustainability, recycled plastic lumber has become a popular choice in the market. With the increasing presence of plastic lumber in our daily lives, you may often find furniture around you is made from this material. No matter for sofas, chairs, dining tables, or sun loungers, plastic lumber is a popular choice in both commercial spaces and residential areas.

Its durability and eco-friendly nature make it a preferred alternative to traditional wood. However, have you ever wondered how this material is manufactured and what makes it environmentally friendly? In this article, we will take a closer look at the entire production process of recycled plastic lumber to see how it is manufactured.

A Brief Introduction to Recycled Plastic Lumber

Now, let’s get to know this material better! Plastic lumber is a type of synthetic lumber that is made entirely from virgin or recycled plastic. It is mainly composed of plastic and binding materials like fiberglass or rebar, making it different from wood-plastic composite, which contains real wood fibre insides.

Recycled plastic lumber is primarily made of recyclable materials such as HDPE, PVC, PP, ABS, PS, and PLA. Among these recyclable materials, HDPE (High-density polyethylene) and PS (Polystyrene) plastic woods are more commonly used in our daily manufacturing. 

Simply speaking, these recycled plastics are processed into powder, then heated to around 400°F (204°C) until they reach a dough-like consistency. After that, the mixture is moulded or extruded into the desired shape. In order to enhance plastic lumber’s performance, many manufacturers will add additional additives such as colourants, stabilizers, reinforcing agents, and lubricants to make it more durable in different settings.

Why Is This Material Environmentally Friendly?

As we all know, plastic lumber is famous as an eco-friendly material, but why? That is because it is made entirely from recycled materials and normally serves as a sustainable alternative to real wood in many outdoor furniture productions.

Unlike traditional real wood which requires the action of cutting down trees, plastic lumber is beneficial for the environment. Additionally, recycled plastic lumber is fully recyclable, meaning it will not turn into harmful waste after use. Its excellent durability and resistance to weather, pests, and UV rays make it a perfect choice for long-lasting and aesthetic garden furniture.

Manufacturing Process of Recycled Plastic Lumber

Recycling of Raw Materials

This is the first step in manufacturing recycled plastic lumber. Now we need to collect, sort, clean and process the discarded plastic waste. Although this may seem like a simple recycling process, it is actually quite complex and challenging. This step is a crucial step in ensuring the quality and durability of the final product.

Collect: Plastic waste comes from both household and industrial or commercial sources. With the people’s rise of environmental awareness, many households nowadays participate in waste sorting, making it easier for later recycling. Then, the recycling center will collect plastic bottles, bags, and containers every once in a while. Industrial and commercial facilities also have their own recycling programs to handle plastic waste from packaging, production, and transportation.

Sort & Clean: Once these wastes are collected, they are sorted based on type, shape, and density. This is important because different plastics have unique properties that affect the recycling process. After sorting, these plastics will go through a cleaning process to remove dirt such as grease, food residues, labels, and adhesives, which could interfere with further processing.

Initial Processing: After they are cleaned, the plastics are shredded into small pieces and then melted at high temperatures. The molten plastic is extruded into pellets or strips, which serve as the raw materials for producing recycled plastic lumber in later processes.

Production Process

Extrusion: The manufacturing process of plastic wood begins with the extrusion step. At this step, the mixture is put into an extruder, which heats it to a high temperature and then forces the melted mixture through a die to form the desired shape of the board. The extruded board is then cooled in a water bath to solidify it.

Moulding & Sizing: Next, moulds are used to press and shape the plastic wood boards, ensuring a consistent shape as required. The plastic lumber boards are then cut to different sizes using automatic machines, such as CNC machines, to achieve the desired specifications.

Surface Treatment: To enhance the surface appearance and durability, various treatments such as embossing, polishing, and sanding are applied. These treatments not only create a smooth and attractive surface but also improve resistance to scratches and stains. If you would like to have a more stylish design, Leisure Touch Rattan (a mature plastic lumber supplier with years of experience) can satisfy your needs.

Throughout the process, additives such as colourants, UV inhibitors, and antioxidants will be added to enhance the aesthetics and longevity of the plastic wood boards.

Quality Inspection

At this stage, the factory conducts strict quality inspections to ensure the products meet high standards before delivery. The plastic wood boards will undergo appearance checks for colour differences, texture, and surface insistency to make sure that they are produced as what clients require. Besides, physical performance tests will also be done to assess durability and suitability for outdoor furniture applications, ensuring long-lasting, reliable products.

For instance, we use Leisure Touch Rattan as an example. The plastic wood boards produced by this factory undergo a comprehensive series of strict tests to ensure exceptional quality and performance. Tensile tests are conducted to assess the material’s tensile strength and durability by stretching it to 200% of its original diameter, evaluating its resilience under stress. Weathering tests are performed to simulate long-term exposure to various outdoor elements, ensuring that the plastic wood can withstand different conditions outdoors.

UV ageing tests expose the plastic wood to 2000 hours of artificial sunlight, determining its resistance to UV rays and overall durability over time. Melt point tests are carried out to measure the material’s strength at high temperatures, while Metal tests confirm that LTR’s plastic lumber complies with RoHS standards. Finally, physical damage resistance tests are conducted to guarantee that the product can endure impacts and rough conditions, ensuring long-lasting durability in any application.

Benefits of Using Recycled Plastic Lumber in Outdoor Furniture Manufacturing

As a popular outdoor furniture material, plastic lumber has lots of benefits that make it widely chosen by many furniture suppliers. When producing plastic lumber polywood, it is made with natural grains and patterns of natural wood, making it highly similar to real wood with long-lasting aesthetics. Completely made of recyclable plastic materials, the quality of plastic wood boards will not be affected by different weather conditions. They are strongly resistant to strong wind, rain, humidity, insects and U rays, making it an ideal choice for making garden furniture pieces. 

What is more, outdoor furniture that is made of this material requires minimum maintenance and can be fully recycled. It is non-toxic and brings no harm to your green garden space. If you would like to know more details about plastic wood’s pros and cons, you can read this blog for more information!

Leisure Touch Rattan- A Leading Plastic Wood Supplier in China

After reading this blog, have you raised more interest towards recycled plastic lumber? If so, it is time for you to source a reliable plastic wood supplier for your outdoor furniture manufacturing.

Having decades of experience in the plastic wood industry, Leisure Touch Rattan has always been dedicated to offering customers premier plastic lumber materials. No matter what styles you need, LTR’s strong factory capacity allows you to have your own personalised products with unique shapes, patterns and colours. With our stylish and high-quality plastic wood boards, your outdoor furniture will leave a great impression on your customers, helping you increase your business reputation. Want to start your new journey with LTR? Contact usnow or download our online catalogue to see more possibilities!

Conclusion

In conclusion, recycled plastic lumber is an eco-friendly and durable alternative to traditional wood, offering numerous benefits for outdoor furniture manufacturing.  Its production process involves collecting plastic waste, manufacturing and quality inspections, ensuring minimal environmental impact while creating durable and low-maintenance plastic wood boards. Nowadays, as more furniture businesses embrace sustainability and social responsibility, recycled plastic lumber continues to be a valuable material in the industry. If you have more questions regarding plastic wood, contact us now for more details!