What materials are and are not biodegradable?



Biodegradability is one of the most important aspects to consider when building a green patio. Will the materials you use eventually be broken down by nature? Or will they stay in a landfill for decades, taking up space?

It's unfortunate, but most of the materials used in today's buildings are not biodegradable. By paying conscious attention to the composition of your deck, you can help reverse this trend.

the number one biodegradable material

The number one biodegradable material in patio construction is wood. Wood is completely biodegradable and, by nature, can be transformed into nutrients that can feed the growth of other plants and animals.

The disadvantage of using wood is that a tree must be cut. To compensate for this, make sure to buy Forest Stewardship Counsel (FSC) certified wood. This will help you make sure that the wood you use is not only biodegradable, but also durable.

plastic composite wood

Wood-plastic composites are unfortunately not biodegradable. This does not mean that you should not use them, however.

These materials are generally composed of at least 40% recycled materials. They crack and curl less than wood and should never be repainted.

In other words, their environmental footprint may be less than that of wood, even if they are not biodegradable.

most chemicals

La plupart des produits chimiques, tels que les détergents pour nettoyer votre terrasse, la peinture, les mastics, etc. ne sont pas biodégradables. En fait, most chemicals complexes ne sont pas biodégradables.

In addition to chemicals that are not biodegradable, most containers they enter are not biodegradable. This means that both the metal bucket and the plastic spray bottle will end up in a landfill.

The solution? Use ecological and ecological chemicals for the construction and maintenance of your deck. These green companies usually take extra precautions to make sure their chemicals are biodegradable. In addition, the containers that make up green chemicals are also biodegradable.

patio furniture

There are many different kinds of patio furniture.

Wood patio furniture is naturally biodegradable. If you choose to go the wood route, make sure to use a weather resistant wood like teak or cedar.

Another option is to use recycled plastic. Recycled plastic is not biodegradable, but it supports the recycling industry.

You can also buy herbal plastic furniture. These are 100% biodegradable plastics. They are tough enough to withstand different climates, but are a bit more expensive than standard plastics.

Finally, you have everything else - metal, ordinary plastics, PVC, and so on. These are not usually biodegradable.




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