What to do with all environmentally unfriendly residential and industrial
plastic waste? Bugs van der Walt and his team have found a simple solution - use
it, mould and shape into just about anything.
Making use of innovative plastic extrusion technology this entrepreneurial
group has created a product from plastic waste they call Polywood. According to
the group the final material has superior strength and durability. It does
not rot, splinter or fade - it can be drilled, sawn, nailed and screwed and can
be turned into anything from garden furniture to railings and fences. It is a
commercially viable way of diverting plastic waste from ever growing landfill
sites.
This
environmentally friendly product contains no toxic preservatives such as
arsenic, and will according to the group definitely outlast treated lumber. It
is also insect proof, does not promote organic growth and also being highly
resistant to the elements, makes Polywood an excellent alternative to wood, a
scarce and expensive resource.
One
of the most innovative applications proposed by the group is that of using
Polywood as an artificial reef. A prototype has already been designed. The
simplest design is a box, which can be made in several sizes and punched with
holes of various sizes to accommodate smaller fish. Using nylon rope, the
Polywood box can be anchored in the sand by means of blocks of concrete or even
old car tyres, taking care of yet another source of pollution. Tiers of solid
Polywood blocks anchored in the same way could make solid reefs, which could
potentially home mussels, grass and oysters. The Polywood reefs would have a
60-year guaranteed life span.
At present Polywood has been used in a number of applications, bins, compost
tumblers, in landscaping as fences, walls and garden furniture and even
playground equipment.
This
environmentally friendly product contains no toxic preservatives such as
arsenic, and will according to the group definitely outlast treated lumber. It
is also insect proof, does not promote organic growth and also being highly
resistant to the elements, makes Polywood an excellent alternative to wood, a
scarce and expensive resource.
One
of the most innovative applications proposed by the group is that of using
Polywood as an artificial reef. A prototype has already been designed. The
simplest design is a box, which can be made in several sizes and punched with
holes of various sizes to accommodate smaller fish. Using nylon rope, the
Polywood box can be anchored in the sand by means of blocks of concrete or even
old car tyres, taking care of yet another source of pollution. Tiers of solid
Polywood blocks anchored in the same way could make solid reefs, which could
potentially home mussels, grass and oysters. The Polywood reefs would have a
60-year guaranteed life span.