Recycled items tough sell on Ozarks jobsites

by Eric Olson

SBJ Reporter

eolson@sbj.net

Lumber made of plastic and fiberglass roof shingles created with plastic and hardwood waste are the latest in a growing list of recycled products available for use in new construction. But recycled building materials are not yet making their way to jobsites in the Ozarks, according to local distributors of such products.

The biggest obstacle is the higher upfront costs in some case two and three times more for recycled materials.

High prices have slowed sales of Trex recycled plastic lumber made of recycled plastic grocery bags and stretch wrap and reclaimed hardwood sawdust at Meek's The Builder's Choice at 1551 W. Mt. Vernon St. Store manager Craig Winegar said the recycled product costs roughly three times more than traditional lumber.

"I have not sold any (recycled lumber) for quite a few months," Winegar said. "I have not purchased any since 2000."

Redd's Wholesale Distribution in Halfway no longer carries recycled plastic structural lumber. Owner Dale Redd tried it for a year.

"It didn't work out real well for us," Redd said. "We're in such a competitive building market that my builder looks at me and says, I can see where it'd be nice, but I'm competing against somebody that's not using this.' It was too high-priced versus the other alternative."

Barbara Lucks, materials recovery/education coordinator for Springfield Public Works, said it's a matter of mindset for builders because it takes a long-term vision to see the benefits. "You don't just look at the shelf price, you look at how long it's going to live (and) what it's going to cost you to maintain it," she said. "You look at the total life of the product that you're dealing with."

Generally, recycled materials have minimal maintenance, a long lifespan and high durability, particularly in plastic-based products, Lucks said.

"Plastic lays in landfills forever and doesn't break down," she said. "But you turn that around and that durability becomes a real asset when you're looking at the lifespan of these materials compared to some of the traditional products."

For instance, Tri-Max plastic structural lumber has a life expectancy of more than 75 years and a 50-year warranty versus treated lumber's 25-year peak expectancy. Another recycled product, Re-New Wood Inc.'s Eco-Shake shingles made of recycled plastic and hardwood waste, boasts a 50-year warranty, compared to wood shakes, which last about 15 years. Eco-Shake costs more than three times as much as cedar shake, according to Brent Fleischman, manager at ABC Supply Co., an Eco-Shake distributor.

"We haven't sold one yet. It always attracts a lot of people" at the Home Builders Association Home shows, said Fleischman. "But we just don't get any calls for it, and I think it's because of the price."

Though sales aren't doing so well, Lucks is optimistic about the availability of such products locally. She said pricing will come down the longer products are on the market.

Lucks expects sales of recycled plastic lumber to increase next year, when a new federal regulation, effective Jan. 1, outlaws the use of chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, treated lumber.

Local uses

Springfield architecture firm Butler, Rosenbury & Partners is familiar with the benefits of using recycled materials in new construction. About 10 associates are members of the Heartland Missouri chapter of the United States Green Building Council, a coalition of building industry leaders promoting buildings that are environmentally responsible.

Bartlomiej Sapeta, an intern architect and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, said local commercial projects using recycled materials are hard to come by.

"Frankly, it's very difficult to convince people to use that," Sapeta said. "It's too new maybe for our region. It's more (used) in the metropolitan places like St. Louis and Kansas City. It hasn't reached us yet."

Local custom homebuilder Ron Middleton said he has not used recycled materials in home construction partially because he wasn't aware of its availability. He does reuse items, such as old timbers, stone and brick, from deconstruction projects, however.

"I've really not been confronted by any suppliers trying to push (recycled products)," Middleton said. "That needs to happen. I think most of us would be responsive to a certain amount of that if it was promoted properly."

Watershed Committee of the Ozarks Director Loring Bullard hopes a new project in the works by his organization can serve as an example to local builders. The Watershed Committee plans to incorporate recycled and native building materials in construction of the Valley Water Mill Institute, a watershed education and demonstration center with an expected groundbreaking in 2005.

"The intent is to use those materials to the greatest extent as a demonstration," Bullard said, adding that at this stage it is unknown what specific materials will be used.

"Some of these things, hopefully within a few years, come into general use. If it makes sense in terms of the use of local and recycled materials, then it will be adopted (by builders) eventually. We think it's important enough to demonstrate some of these things for people to be able to see for themselves," he added.

Springfield Conservation Nature Center has recycled plastic decking 725 linear feet of it along its walking trails. Maintenance Technician Eric McMillan said the Nature Center purchased Evergrain Decking by Epoch Composite Products Inc. because the advantages of recycled plastic lumber outweigh the drawbacks.

"It's much more expensive," McMillan said, "but there is advantages of it. It is a recycled material, and that's one thing that we strive to utilize here. It should last much longer."

However, he noted that current recycled product is not as structurally sound as wood, and though it has the appearance of real wood today, it turns gray over time.

"But we don't have to go out every year and spray water treatment," McMillan added. "There is a cost savings right there."

Bullard said the Watershed Committee is planning on using recycled plastic decking for boardwalks over wetland areas at the new institute.

The Watershed Committee has hired Kansas City architecture firm BNIM for design and consultant work. Bullard said the firm has national experience in green building, or building with the environment in mind.

"They are recognized around the country as being sort of on the leading edge with green building technologies," he said. "What they are telling us is that some of these materials even though they may cost more, some of them may pay for themselves in the longer term.

"Part of what we advocate in our business is longer-term thinking. You've got to look at the costs of operating and maintaining this building over the longer term. That's where we are seeking guidance from our architects."