Is wooden deck material a “greener” choice than a composite material made of recycled plastic and reclaimed wood?
If you are replacing a wooden deck, and a plank of redwood costs $10 and a plank of recycled composite costs $15, you can quickly do the math and figure the entire deck would cost 50% more to go with the composite. On the surface, your initial thought of “going green” might be that wood is a more natural choice than the composite. However, if you take into account the entire life of the product, the deck wood will require staining periodically, will last for 15 years, and will require hazardous disposal (due to the chemicals in the stain). The composite product retains its appearance, does not require staining, lasts 30 years, is made from recycled materials that can be recycled at end of its useful life, and does not require hazardous disposal. During the 30 years, you would have to replace the chemically-treated wood deck twice, costing 50% more than the composite. If you add in the cost of periodic staining and labor to install it twice over the 30 year period, the wooden deck will
