The Debate Rages On!

OCCOutdoors Wieghs in on the Wood vs. Recycled Plastic Debate

hen trying to decide between wood or recycled plastic products, property managers tend to look at the base cost of a product when making their decision. A good 8-foot long steel-framed wooden picnic might run upwards of $350; whereas, a comparable plastic picnic table could set you back upwards $1,000.

It seems like a slam-dunk — the wood picnic tables wins outright!

Or does it?

Cost Equals More Than Price

As any property manager knows, there are other factors in determining the final cost of using X-product over Y-product. Yes, you might save on the initial purchase of a wood picnic table, but how much will it cost to paint your tables? If you're painting it yourself, how much time will it take to paint them? Will that take away from other projects you need to complete?

Yearly maintenance of a wood picnic table typically requires cleaning scraping off any loose paint and either touch up or completely repainting. A recycled plastic picnic table never needs scraping or painting. If a plastic picnic table gets a tad dirty, all you need to do to make them look new again is pressure waste them.

Let's assume that a minimum of two (2) hours per year is needed for yearly maintenance. At $50.00 per hour, this is $1000.00 just for maintenance over a 10-year period. A wooded picnic table rarely last 10 years without needing replacement slats, which might be required yearly to eliminate bleed sap. Recycled plastic picnic tables typically last 15 years or more with no maintenance except slight cleaning.

One other advantage of a recycled plastic picnic table is that it will remain looking good year around, in all types of weather.

Saving Money in the Long-run.

For many property managers, saving money is a marathon not a sprint. Saving $5-600 one year only to shell out another $500 a few years down the road doesn't make much sense. When you look at the cost of maintaining each picnic table over a 10-year period, the recycled plastic picnic tables is by far a better deal.

Recycled plastic picnic tables are made mostly of recycled milk jugs, keeping them out of landfills.

Recycled plastic picnic tables also come in several designs, colors and configurations.

Find the perfect Recycled Plastic Picnic Table for your needs:

Recycled Picnic Tables Recycled Benches Other Recycled Products