as i see it
Greener isBetter POLYWOOD’S eco-friendly designs are a hit with customers who desire sustainable products. BY SHARON SANDERS
POLYWOOD has been in the business of helping people cre-
ate beautiful, livable spaces since 1990. As the originator of the outdoor industry’s recycled lumber furniture category, the Syracuse, Indiana-based company continues to lead the way in sustainability, design, and durability. Patio & Hearth Products Report recently spent some time with Megan Pierson, senior vice president of busine ss development, to tap into the latest company news and find out how POLYWOOD plans to continue meeting the changing needs of the marketplace. How did POLYWOOD make a name for itself? Pierson: The Adirondack chair was our first product to gain widespread popularity, and we grew it from there. Today, it’s still our signature product
Colorful fire set
and is a best seller. We have since expanded in many other categories that give us a c omplete lineup of furniture. To keep up with the demand of our market, we have expanded our Adirondack choices as well. We now offer 13 basic options with three different back styles: classic, shell back, and a square modern look. We also offer different heights and a folding version that is easy to store.
every part of the world, and we want to be a part of the solution. Our company mission is to recover and transform landfill-bound and ocean-bound plastic into durable outdoor furniture that will last for generations. It is the driving force behind everything we do and create at POLYWOOD. We strive for excellence from the sourcing of our own raw materials to delivering a beautiful new furniture set.
What is the POLYWOOD philosophy? Pierson: While we have a tremendous passion for making quality products, at our core, POLYWOOD is a company that wants to do something meaningful for the environment. Pollution affects
Why does recycled lumber furniture appeal to so many consumers? Pierson: Consumers purchase outdoor recycled furniture for many reasons and durability tops the list. Genuine POLYWOOD furniture stands up to anything, making it ideal for any climate. It’s also easy to maintain with no painting, staining or wa terproofing needed—wipe it down with a damp cloth and that’s it. We’ve found that once people give recycled lumber furniture a try, it’s hard to go back to anything else. Lately, more than ever before, sustainability is also in the forefront of consumers’ minds. They love that POLYWOOD takes oceanand landfill-bound plastic from the environment and turns it into longlasting furniture.
Vineyard 4-piece bench set
44 PATIOANDHEARTHPRODUCTSREPORT.COM
What is the latest news a bout your recycling initiatives? Pierson: Last year, in addition to our landfill-bound recycling, we created an ocean-bound plastic initiative to help clean up plastic waste that is streaming into the oceans. It is a big issue in many countries because there are no local facilities to recycle the waste. We have partnered with a company that operates mostly in Haiti and Indonesia to help. They hire locals to collect plastic and then they ship it to our recycling facility in Indiana. We sort, clean, and turn the raw materials into lumber for our furniture. For 2020, we committed to recycling 1 million pounds of plastic, and we are growing upon that for this year. How has POLYWOOD grown/changed in recent years? Pierson: POLYWOOD is always looking for new ways to design and create different aesthetics. There are new technologies that allow us to offer sleek designs and aesthetics that weren’t attainable even five years ago. We have a full lineup of products from rocking chairs and chaise lounges to tables, swings, and gliders—and we even have a kids collection. We most recently added deep seating and fire pit tables, both of which have been extremely popular. We
