With Earth Day approaching on April 22, Patrick Simpson of Alaska Plastic Recovery says he’s looking forward to increased sales of Grizzly Wood for projects ranging from docks, trails, decking and boardwalks.
Simpson, born and raised in a fishing family in Cordova, said low maintenance and long-lasting performance are the big selling points for Grizzly Wood, which he began producing as construction material after several years of intensive research. The realization that he was prone to getting seasick on the ocean prompted Simpson get a degree in engineering and begin the first of several ventures that provided benefits for the commercial fishing industry.
Grizzly Wood, a friendly alternative to pressure-treated lumber, has the added environmental bonus of keeping tons of discarded and other worn-out plastic materials out of landfills. And unlike traditional wood construction products, it is not susceptible to rot, pests and weather damage. It is made entirely from recycled plastics, repurposed for a second life as a durable, high-performance construction material.
The initial cost of Grizzly Wood is more expensive, “but you don’t have to repaint it or restain it,” Simpson said. “The plastic we are using is designed for use on the North Slope.”
The product is high impact resistant, offers ultraviolet light protection, and is built so it will not shrink or expand in a wide range of temperatures.
Big sellers include picnic tables, park benches and two-by-six pieces of Grizzly Wood.
“We sell three times more two-by-sixes than anything else, for a lot of deck projects, garden boxes, bridges,” he said. “We have a design for garden boxes we will share. We will help people build their own project.”
This past year one customer, Baja Taco in Cordova, purchased five picnic tables from Alaska Plastic Recovery. Other recent projects have included a dock at Big Lake for the Alaska Sailing Club and a bridge in at Houston in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The customer base, from Southeast Alaska to the Kenai Peninsula and the Matanuska Valley, is about 60% individuals, 20% businesses and 20% institutional, he said.
The company also is at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer every year, at the invitation of Valley Community Recycling Solutions.
“We raffle off a picnic table,” Simpson said. “It has been very positive for us.”
Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. in Cordova recently contacted Simpson about some 200,000 pounds of worn out plastic pipe that the organization has been stockpiling on the beach at Cannery Creek to discuss the options for recycling it. The pipe is well preserved and Simpson plans to move it all to Palmer this summer, to make more Grizzly Wood.
The company currently has a total of 19 employees, including five full-time and 14 part-time, with offices in Big Lake and operations in Palmer.
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