Is Polywood Toxic? What You Need To Know

Polywood is a brand of synthetic wood. It is intended to mimic natural wood, but it’s actually a type of plastic lumber. It is made from 100% recycled plastic. While this sounds like a green alternative to wood, consumers need to know whether Polywood is in fact toxic or not.

Polywood is 99% recyclable and non–toxic. Polywood is made using HDPE or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and processed to be safe. It’s an ideal alternative to aluminum, resin, rattan, and other wood outdoor furniture. However, HDPE may release low levels of chemicals that raise estrogen levels.

WHAT IS POLYWOOD AND HOW IS IT MADE?

It could be said that Polywood is the best outdoor and patio furniture with the highest durability standard. Polywood is made of 99% recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is just a layman’s term for detergent bottles, bottle caps, and milk jugs thrown in the trash. The recycled HDPE is then mixed with colorants and foaming agents and pressed into casts that mimics the appearance of natural wood.

Considering that HDPE is highly recyclable, in fact, you can recycle in an infinite number of times, buying Polywood furniture is an excellent opportunity to help the environment while having an extremely durable product. There’s no wood necessary and no forest to destroy.

IS HIGH-DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (HDPE) SAFE?

HDPE is probably the most common household plastic. You can find it in grocery stores, from plastic juice bottles to milk jugs. It is also used on cereal box liners, food buckets, butter containers that you commonly find in restaurants and cafeterias.

HDPE is perfectly a safe plastic for food content. Although, there are a few isolated cases where the FDA has called out recycled HDPE. But when it comes to furniture use, you should not be concerned about its safety as HDPE products don’t leach harmful chemicals into the environment.

COMMON FURNITURE MATERIALS THAT AREN’T SAFE AND TOXIC-FREE

While Polywood is an excellent choice for your outdoor furniture needs or even decking, it is also good to know what outdoor furniture materials are not recommended when it comes to safety and toxicity as well.

PLASTIC RESIN

Plastic resins are relatively non-toxic. However, some can be toxic and may react with water and other biological materials.

As far as toxicity is concerned, it really depends on what type of plastic resin it is and its formulation. There are two types of resin which are Thermoplastic and Thermoset.

Many of the common thermoplastics such as PETE, PE, and HDPE have relatively low toxicity levels. However, Thermoset resins are highly reactive and toxic in their non-reacted form and often produce toxic byproducts.

BARE METAL

Not only metal can be heavy and difficult to move around, it is also susceptible to rust. Rust can cause Tetanus. Although rust doesn’t cause tetanus by itself, furniture that accumulates rust can harbor anaerobic bacteria.

PVC

PVC can contain harmful chemical additives such as lead, cadmium, phthalates, and organotins. These chemicals can be toxic to your children’s health.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, Polywood could be the best outdoor and patio furniture with the highest durability standard. Polywood is non-toxic. It is the perfect outdoor furniture material because it is strong, durable, and does not decay. The material is safe to use around children and pets. Polywood is made of 99% recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is just a layman’s term for detergent bottles, bottle caps, and milk jugs thrown in the trash.

Although there are a few isolated cases where the FDA has called out the use of recycled HDPE for food containers. However, when it comes to furniture use, you should not be concerned about its safety as HDPE products don’t leach harmful chemicals into the environment.