LifeAlaska · August 12, 2026
this deck used to be trash
A deck in Houston, Alaska was just built from nine tons of recycled plastic, and the company behind it says it will outlast any wooden deck in the Valley.
Daily Alaska staff · August 12, 2026
A deck built in Houston, Alaska used more than nine tons of recycled plastic collected from Anchorage recycling bins, according to Alaska Plastic Recovery, the Anchorage company that turned the material into lumber. The Susitna Rotary used 18,390 pounds of the recycled boards, sold under the brand Grizzly Wood, to build a deck designed to withstand flooding.
Alaska Plastic Recovery, founded by Patrick Simpson, collects plastic dropped off at the Municipality of Anchorage's material recovery facility, which accepts types 1, 2 and 5 plastic six days a week. The company hand-sorts, shreds and melts the plastic before pressing it into lumber boards, giving residents a direct way to see what happens to the plastic they recycle.
Some of the material comes from the oil patch. Thread protectors shipped with North Slope pipe get blended into the same batch of recycled lumber.
Simpson says the boards can last up to 50 years with basically no maintenance. The company is in its third year of partnership with the municipality, following a 2022 pilot project.
In this story
Questions people ask
How much recycled plastic is in the Houston deck?
18,390 pounds, built by the Susitna Rotary into a flood-resistant deck.
Who founded Alaska Plastic Recovery?
Patrick Simpson.
Where do I drop off plastic for recycling in Anchorage?
The Municipality of Anchorage's material recovery facility accepts plastics 1, 2 and 5 six days a week.
How long do the recycled plastic boards last?
Up to 50 years with basically no maintenance, according to the company.
Evidence
Sources
Claims and where they come from
- A deck in Houston, Alaska was built using 18,390 pounds of recycled plastic. · alaskasnewssource.com
- Alaska Plastic Recovery was founded by Patrick Simpson. · alaskasnewssource.com
- The boards can last up to 50 years with basically no maintenance, according to Simpson. · alaskasnewssource.com
- Alaska Plastic Recovery is in its third year of partnership with the Municipality of Anchorage, after a 2022 pilot project. · alaskasnewssource.com
Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing. How we use AI →