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About: Polywood furniture isn’t made of wood at all. The Kosciusko County plant uses recycled plastics, rather than trees, to make durable lawn and patio furniture. Out of a 2-million-square-foot facility in Syracuse, workers recycle high-density polyethylene, a dense, weatherproof plastic. That plastic is made from milk jugs, detergent containers, shampoo bottles, lotion bottles and spray bottles. The company receives truckloads of these products daily. Once these items are converted into raw material, or “Polywood lumber,” the company can infinitely recycle the material and the furniture it creates. Ultimately, making the furniture is a 99% circular process, according to Polywood.
The process: Through plastic extrusion, workers in both Indiana and the company’s other facility—in Roxboro, North Carolina—form the shapes of the chair pieces. These individual pieces are then assembled into the furnishings and occasionally upholstered by workers focused on sewing.
Durability: The company says its products are tested thousands of times to ensure they’ll withstand the sun, rain, snow, sleet, saltwater and years of use. They’re backed by a 20-year warranty.
History: Polywood was founded in 1990. It had humble beginnings in the garage of CEO Doug Rassi during a time when government-mandated recycling programs were in full swing and an overabundance of recycled plastic existed as a result. Rassi found that outdoor furniture was the perfect application. The first product, and the star of Polywood’s furniture offerings, is the classic Adirondack chair that it stocks in a dozen colors.
Recent collaborations: Furniture with Martha Stewart and Country Living Magazine
Employees: 1,200 at Syracuse headquarters
Fun fact: Polywood repurposes an average of 400,000 milk jugs a day.
—Compiled by Taylor Wooten
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