Transform Outdoor Spaces and Prepare for a Season of Entertaining - With Plastics

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring has sprung and as people's attention moves outside with the warmer weather, the latest trends in outdoor living spaces are being showcased at home and garden shows throughout the country. Sustainability is hot this spring and more products made with recycled plastics and other materials are being used in backyards and gardens – a small way to make a big difference.  Plastics Make it Possible®, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council, partnered with home improvement and design expert, Leslie Segrete, at the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show to underscore how innovations in plastics and recycled plastics are being used to design functional and stylish outdoor and home spaces.  

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"When it comes to gardening, being 'green' is not only about producing beautiful flowers, it's about being conscious of the products and tools we use around the house," says Leslie Segrete. "It's exciting to hear that more Americans are interested in innovative products, like decking, fencing, garden tools and home furnishings made from recycled plastics. As consumers, these days we have so many options to buy products that not only look good but also make us feel good about helping the environment."

"From all types of plastic bottles and containers to bags and wraps, it's easy to recycle more of the plastics we use every day," says Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council.  "When you recycle plastics they can then go on to lead a 'second life' as new products like decking, furniture, vertical gardens, bird houses, and even beautiful containers for planting -- so much more than you realize."

To help consumers find ways to incorporate more recycled plastics into their backyard to create their own outdoor oasis, Leslie Segrete offers the following tips:

• Divine Decking: To create decks, fences and other outdoor structures, manufacturers are using composite lumber, some of which is made with recycled plastic shopping bags and milk jugs. These composites are typically stain- and water-resistant, don't attract those pesky backyard bugs that love to eat wood, and contain UV-inhibiting pigment to resist fading in the sun.
• Relax With Feel-Good Furniture: Homeowners can lounge on brightly colored chairs and benches and dine on stylish tables made with recycled plastics and other innovative materials. Green-conscious consumers can choose furniture made from post-consumer recycled containers, such as plastic milk jugs, detergent containers and margarine tubs. Best of all, you'll save time and money by not having to stain or weatherproof this second generation furniture.
• Growing Up Green: If you can't add lush greenery in your home or outdoor living space horizontally, then try adding it vertically. The popularity of vertical gardens is at an all-time high especially among city dwellers who want the beauty and charm of outdoor gardens but are short on space. Vertical or hanging gardens can be easily created using innovative plastic pockets, many made from recycled plastic bottles, that can be hung a wall with plants and soil going directly inside. Because the pockets are lightweight, it is possible to set up a vertical garden on almost any outdoor or indoor wall, whatever its size.
• Planting Green: Plastic planters made of lightweight plastic are perfect for growing small ornamental trees - and because they're lightweight, they make it possible to move planters to change the look of your outdoor space as often as you like. They come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors - many look just like terra cotta or stone – without the weight and tendency to crack in extreme temperatures. The durable plastic is weather resistant, so there's less worry about fading or breaking due to rain, sun, snow or hail.
• Be Green While Gardening: Looking for gardening gear made from recycled plastics?  Companies today are producing gardening gloves made with water-resistant plastic fibers from recycled plastic bottles– each glove diverts one water bottle from the waste stream.

To learn more about how plastics fuel the imagination and allow us to design and create innovative, functional and stylish outdoor and home spaces visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/garden.

About Plastics Make it Possible®

Plastics Make it Possible® highlights the many ways plastics inspire innovations that improve our lives, solve big problems and help us design a safer, more promising future. This initiative is sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council. For more information, visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com, check out our Facebook page and follow us @plasticpossible on twitter at www.twitter.com/plasticpossible.

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The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $689 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation's largest exporters, accounting for ten cents out of every dollar in U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

Contact:  Jennifer Killinger (202) 249-6619
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Plastics Make it Possible