{
  "story": {
    "slug": "this-deck-used-to-be-trash",
    "headline": "this deck used to be trash",
    "deck": "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.",
    "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/story/this-deck-used-to-be-trash",
    "section": "Life",
    "area": null,
    "published_at": "2026-08-12T20:00:00+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:19:15.720579+00:00",
    "body_md": "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.\n\nAlaska 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.\n\nSome of the material comes from the oil patch. Thread protectors shipped with North Slope pipe get blended into the same batch of recycled lumber.\n\nSimpson 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.",
    "sources": [
      {
        "url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/07/grizzly-wood-anchorage-company-turns-plastic-into-building-material-they-say-can-last-50-years/",
        "label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ]
  },
  "envelope": {
    "story_id": "666ef30e-b988-4fbf-ba50-4b6e09ab93b6",
    "slug": "this-deck-used-to-be-trash",
    "summary": "Alaska Plastic Recovery, an Anchorage company founded by Patrick Simpson, turned 18,390 pounds of recycled plastic collected from Anchorage's material recovery facility into Grizzly Wood lumber. The Susitna Rotary used the boards to build a flood-resistant deck in Houston, Alaska.",
    "key_facts": [
      "The Houston deck used 18,390 pounds of recycled plastic.",
      "Alaska Plastic Recovery was founded by Patrick Simpson.",
      "The Susitna Rotary built the deck, designed to withstand flooding.",
      "The Municipality of Anchorage's material recovery facility accepts plastic types 1, 2 and 5 six days a week.",
      "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, after a 2022 pilot project."
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "a": "18,390 pounds, built by the Susitna Rotary into a flood-resistant deck.",
        "q": "How much recycled plastic is in the Houston deck?"
      },
      {
        "a": "Patrick Simpson.",
        "q": "Who founded Alaska Plastic Recovery?"
      },
      {
        "a": "The Municipality of Anchorage's material recovery facility accepts plastics 1, 2 and 5 six days a week.",
        "q": "Where do I drop off plastic for recycling in Anchorage?"
      },
      {
        "a": "Up to 50 years with basically no maintenance, according to the company.",
        "q": "How long do the recycled plastic boards last?"
      }
    ],
    "claims": [
      {
        "claim": "A deck in Houston, Alaska was built using 18,390 pounds of recycled plastic.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/07/grizzly-wood-anchorage-company-turns-plastic-into-building-material-they-say-can-last-50-years/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Alaska Plastic Recovery was founded by Patrick Simpson.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/07/grizzly-wood-anchorage-company-turns-plastic-into-building-material-they-say-can-last-50-years/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "The boards can last up to 50 years with basically no maintenance, according to Simpson.",
        "confidence": "reported",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/07/grizzly-wood-anchorage-company-turns-plastic-into-building-material-they-say-can-last-50-years/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      },
      {
        "claim": "Alaska Plastic Recovery is in its third year of partnership with the Municipality of Anchorage, after a 2022 pilot project.",
        "confidence": "sourced",
        "source_url": "https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/08/07/grizzly-wood-anchorage-company-turns-plastic-into-building-material-they-say-can-last-50-years/",
        "source_label": "alaskasnewssource.com"
      }
    ],
    "locations": [
      {
        "area": "Mat-Su",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Houston"
      },
      {
        "area": "Anchorage",
        "kind": "city",
        "name": "Anchorage"
      }
    ],
    "people": [
      {
        "org": "Alaska Plastic Recovery",
        "name": "Patrick Simpson",
        "title": "Founder"
      }
    ],
    "organizations": [
      {
        "kind": "company",
        "name": "Alaska Plastic Recovery"
      },
      {
        "kind": "nonprofit",
        "name": "Susitna Rotary"
      },
      {
        "kind": "government",
        "name": "Municipality of Anchorage"
      }
    ],
    "event_dates": [
      {
        "date": "2022",
        "label": "Alaska Plastic Recovery pilot project with the Municipality of Anchorage begins"
      }
    ],
    "story_status": "reported",
    "what_changed": null,
    "keywords": [
      "alaska plastic recovery",
      "grizzly wood",
      "recycled plastic lumber",
      "susitna rotary deck",
      "houston alaska deck",
      "anchorage recycling program",
      "north slope thread protectors recycled"
    ],
    "disclosure": "Produced with AI assistance, narrated with Slav Lund's voice clone with his consent, and reviewed by a person before publishing.",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-01T05:23:54.483+00:00",
    "reviewed_at": null,
    "updated_at": "2026-10-02T06:19:15.720579+00:00"
  },
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    {
      "slug": "susitna-rotary",
      "name": "Susitna Rotary",
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      "url": "https://thedailyalaska.com/codex/susitna-rotary"
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  "corrections": [],
  "underwriting": null,
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    "abstract": "Alaska Plastic Recovery, an Anchorage company founded by Patrick Simpson, turned 18,390 pounds of recycled plastic collected from Anchorage's material recovery facility into Grizzly Wood lumber. The Susitna Rotary used the boards to build a flood-resistant deck in Houston, Alaska.",
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