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At Filcris we aim to provide you with the guidance you need to both select the correct product for your project, and get the most out of your purchase. We have basic guidance in this section about the products. There is further information about how to work with the material in the Home and Landscaping sections. We will be continuing to develop specific guidance notes for our range products, which will be added to our website as they are completed.
What is Recycled Plastic Made From?
Most of the recycled plastic products we sell are made mainly from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) from both post consumer and post industrial sources (called feedstock) in the UK. Some other products are made in other countries in the EU, mainly Germany. There may be other plastics and other materials incorporated during production, and variation in the purity of feedstock is reflected in different prices for similar profiles. The exceptions are
- Stokbord® made from Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), very similar to HDPE but more flexible.
- Sealwise® made from recycled PVC.
- Densetec® partially or completely composed of virgin (i.e. non-recycled) HDPE and is made in the USA.
What Are the Characteristics of Recycled Plastic (HDPE / LDPE)?
- Recycled PE is a tough material which has a very high impact resistance.
- It will not rot or degrade in water. It is not affected by salt water.
- It incorporates UV stabilisers and has an estimated life span of more than 40 years before it will begin to degrade in sunlight and many, many more years before that process has any structural impacts.
- It is flexible – much more flexible than timber. This can be beneficial where it is used for path edging or similar applications where curves are useful.
- Because it is more flexible than timber you will generally need to use smaller spans than a similar timber project. If you have any doubts email us or call 01954 718327 and we will be happy to discuss your project.
- It will expand and contract with changes in temperature which means that expansion gaps and oversized fixing holes may be required for some projects especially if the product used is very dark, has a large surface area and is in a very hot or sunny location. If you have any doubts email us or call 01954 718327 and we will be happy to discuss your project.
What About Composite?
We do not currently sell any composite products.
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