History of Wood Plastic Composite (WPC)

Wood plastic composite (WPC) is a uniquely bonded material created from wood and plastic with many similar functions of timber, but with less maintenance requirements and with a lower weight to strength ratio. WPC nearly always incorporates at least some recycled raw materials into its composition.

The WPC industry is evolving rapidly. Internationally the WPC market steadily increases by the double digits each year, according to Wood Plastic Composites Technology Trends (Han, Gardner and Song, 2008). In less than thirty years, since WPC was introduced to the world, WPC has become a common material found in various forms from state of the art technology facilities, to individual homes. WPC is now used for large-scale cladding, roofing and structural construction support among many purposes. In these innovative uses lies opportunity to greatly expand the purpose and market of composite.

In North America more than 80 American WPC manufacturers contribute to an over one billion dollar industry. WPC is primarily used in the building sector as outdoor decking and railing. In fact three quarters of all North American WPC is used for building, ten percent for industrial purposes, eight percent for the automotive industry and the remaining seven percent for other uses, according to Wood-Plastic Composite Extrusion Overvew (Dr. Douglas J. Gardner, 2008).

In Europe WPC has found great popularity in the automotive industry as well as for home furnishings, such as furniture, pots and even tool handles. While the European decking industry is less than the Americans', the market for WPC decking rises at annual rates of around 14 percent. In just five years, from 2005 to 2010 the European WPC market grew by 280 percent (Han, Gardner and Song, 2008).

The Asian market was introduced to WPC nearly a decade after North America's and Europe's, but was 300 percent larger than the European market by 2005. To date more than 30 WPC manufactures operate mainly from China, Japan and South Korea. The Chinese WPC industry alone has grown by up to 30 percent annually since its formation (Han, Gardner and Song, 2008). Asian, particularly Chinese WPC holds export appeal for its competitive pricing but has a reputation for being lower-quality than its American and European competitors.

In Africa Eva-Last Distributors currently operates as the only WPC manufacturer.

Significant to the composite market are the international efforts made towards promoting green building products over traditional, more environmentally-harmful products, such as timber. The United States has created pro-WPC legislature and many other countries offer tax or other incentives that help attract more potential clients towards composite.

Composite has the fastest growing materials market in the world. Composite materials are any engineered materials created from two or more constituent materials whose unique physical and/or chemical properties remain intact and separate from each other on a microscopic level. They are an incredible useful and popular type of material thanks to their high performance in an array of applications and lighter weight to strength ratio. Composites are used in industries such as aerospace, automotive and primarily building.

Composition of wood plastic composite (WPC) will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. However as the very name suggests, WPC is a combination of wood and plastic that are uniquely bonded to create long-lasting material. WPC is lighter weight than most other materials suitable for the same application. It has a long lifespan and can operate effectively in even extreme climates. WPC can be used for a variety of outdoor applications traditionally created from timber. Most often WPC is used in automotive, window and door profile and decking industries. Wood plastic composites account for over one third (approximately 40%) of all materials used in light-frame residential construction in the United States.

In many instances, from office accessories to hot tub siding, WPC can take the place of timber or other materials traditionally used. However unlike timber, WPC does not require extensive maintenance. While specific care will vary slightly from composite to composite, most will not require the frequent staining and sealing of wood. This works to save time and money for the end user, as well as prevent the overuse of environmentally harmful chemicals for the purpose of maintenance. Quality composite reduces the need to use natural resources and, in fact creates a durable product from otherwise wasted materials that is in many ways superior to timber.