Making Your Patio Eco-Friendly, Too

You may have used some of EnviroCitizen.org's tips for creating an eco-friendly garden. You may have started composting and created raised plant beds to reduce your garden's need for. Your yard may be landscaped with native plants and your deciduous trees might be helping your home be more energy-efficient. But what about your patio, is it eco-friendly, too?

Eco-friendly patio furniture comes in all different types. One of the more popular and affordable versions is plastic. We know what you're thinking! Plastic is made from petroleum, which is definitely not eco-friendly. Eco-friendly patio furniture isn't made from petroleum-based plastic. Rather, it's made from recyclable plastic lumber (RPL), which is made from recycled plastic. For example, some companies offer patio furniture that is made from recycled milk jugs. So, while the raw materials are petroleum-based plastics, the materials used to make the furniture you purchase are recycled (and recyclable).

Another eco-friendly patio furniture option is bamboo. Bamboo is incredibly sustainable, since it grows very rapidly and can replenish itself with ease. Bamboo is also a beautiful wood that is very durable. Bamboo patio furniture is beautiful and costs about the same as other wood furniture.

PolyWood is another great eco-friendly material to look for in eco-friendly patio furniture. Also called engineered wood or composite wood, PolyWood is made from sawmill scraps and other wood industry by-products. PolyWood is great because it takes waste from other industries and reuses the waste. PolyWood furniture is high-quality and eco-friendly!

Other eco-friendly options include furniture made from sustainably harvested wood. If it's certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), you can rest assured that the wood in your patio furniture was harvested both sustainably and by workers that were paid a living wage.

Now that you've got all of your eco-friendly patio furniture, there are other ways that you can make your patio even more eco-friendly. Consider buying an EcoSmart Fire-an outdoor fire pit that is made sustainably and is fueled by denatured ethanol, a biodegradable fuel. Many companies also offer eco-friendly lighting, such as strands of tiki lights that are made from organic paper and are lit by energy-efficient light bulbs. There are also eco-friendly patio decorations, like wind chimes made from recycled metals or bird feeders made from recycled plastic.

Ultimately, EnviroCitizen.org has uncovered a wealth of options when it comes to making your patio as eco-friendly as your yard. The sky is the limit. Complete your eco-friendly yard with an eco-friendly patio that will "wow" your guests!

Check out EnviroCitizen.org's selection of eco-friendly patio furniture!