![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Park Benches and Picnic Tables
Park benches and picnic tables are typically found in parks, outdoor recreational facilities, and on the grounds of office buildings. Recycled milk jugs and aluminum and steel cans can be used to manufacture these items.
- Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges
- Product Specifications
- Product Information
- Additional Links
Recommended Recovered Materials Content Ranges:
EPA's Recovered Materials Advisory Notice (RMAN) recommends recycled content levels for purchasing park benches and picnic tables as shown in the table below.
| Product | Postconsumer Content (%) | Total Recovered Materials Content (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Plastics ² | 90-100 | 100 |
| Plastic composites | 50-100 | 100 |
| Aluminum | 25 | 25 |
| Concrete | -- | 15-40 |
| Steel ³ | 16
67 |
25-30
100 |
²"Plastics" includes both single and mixed plastic resins. Park benches and picnic tables made with recovered plastics may also contain other recovered materials such as sawdust, wood, or fiberglass. The percentage of these materials contained in the product would also count toward the recovered materials content level of the item.
³The recommended recovered materials content levels for steel in this table reflect the fact that the designated items can be made from steel manufactured in either a Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) or an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Steel from the BOF process contains 25-30% total recovered materials, of which 16% is postconsumer steel. Steel from the EAF process contains a total of 100% recovered steel, of which 67% is postconsumer.
Product Specifications:
Plastic lumber cannot be tested using the same tests already developed for virgin plastic. Tests on virgin plastic are performed on small cross-sections of the material. This is an accurate indicator of how the virgin plastic will perform as it is a homogeneous material. Plastic lumber, however, is not homogeneous in its construction, so tests on a cross-section of this material do not accurately predict how a length of lumber will perform in certain circumstances. For this reason, new test methods have been developed for lengths of lumber. These test methods apply to all types of plastic lumber or equivalent materials that are not homogeneous at the cross-section. These ASTM test methods are as follows:
- 6108-97 Standard Test Method for Compressive Properties
of Plastic Lumber.
- 6109-97 Standard Test Method for Flexural Properties of
Unreinforced and Reinforced Plastic Lumber.
- 6111-97 Standard Test Method for Bulk Density and
Specific Gravity of Plastic Lumber and Shapes by
Displacement.
- 6112-97 Standard Test Method for Compressive and
Flexural Creep and Creep Rupture of Plastic Lumber and
Shapes.
- 6117-97 Standard Test Method for Mechanical Fasteners in Plastic Lumber and Shapes.
ASTM is working on draft test methods for shear properties.
Product Information:
Database
of Manufacturers and Suppliers
This database identifies manufacturers and suppliers
of park benches and picnic tables containing recovered
materials.
Additional Links:
2007
Buy-Recycled Series: Park and Recreation Products (PDF)
(6 pp, 100 K,
About PDF)
This fact sheet highlights park and recreation
products designated in the CPG, including park benches and
picnic tables, and includes case studies, recommended
recovered-content levels, and a list of resources.
Technical
Background Document (PDF) (215 pp, 381K, About PDF)
This background document includes EPA's product
research on recovered-content park benches and picnic tables,
as well as a more detailed overview of the history and
regulatory requirements of the CPG process.
