• Science can turn these into lumber.Jim Franco/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  With the invention of recycled plastic lumber, all those old pop bottles a household has recycled can come right back as deck boards. Unlike composite decking boards, in which wood chips are mixed with chemicals and polymers, recycled plastic lumber is entirely synthetic and can be made from plastic diverted from the household waste stream. This gives it advantages in its primary use as a deck-building material.
  
  

Safety

• Recycled plastic lumber does not have any chemical coatings, unlike pressure-treated wood. It is slip-resistant, doesn't splinter and is made from nontoxic plastic. All of these things can make it especially suitable for decks that will be used by children, who are especially prone to falling and getting splinters and to getting material in their mouths.
  
  

Environmental Friendliness

• Substituting recycled plastic lumber for natural wood reduces the demand for logs. This can help preserve forests, which clean the air and shelter diverse ecosystems. By making lumber from postconsumer waste, recycled plastic lumber reduces the amount headed to already-crowded landfills.
  
  

Low Maintenance

• Recycled plastic lumber does not need to be stained, treated, or painted and can be cleaned with water.
  
  

Durability

• Recycled plastic is immune to most of the problems that affect wooden lumber. It cannot rot and does not split, chip, stain or blister. It is entirely waterproof and insect resistant. Plastic boards also resist salts, oils, stains, and fungus, as well as ultraviolet light-induced fading.
  
  

Workability

• Recycled plastic lumber holds nails and screws more solidly than wood, and it can be bent and formed into shape more easily. Wear gear to protect the eyes and mouth while working with it, just as with wood.