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22/10/2003 - Cologne/Geesthacht
Cologne/Geesthacht, 22 October 2003 –The opening of the Richtweg playground in Geesthacht, Schleswig-Holstein on 21 October signalled the start of a future-oriented pilot project. Here, for the very first time, key components of the playground equipment that are normally made of wood or concrete have been manufactured from recycled plastic packaging from yellow bags and bins. On the initiative of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kunststoff-Recycling mbH (DKR), recycled plastic was used for the climbing frame and the sand-pit, for the seats of the swings and see saw as well as for the animal riders and the benches. The goal is to demonstrate its advantages over conventional materials: "Recycled plastic is suitable for use in children's playgrounds because it is robust and has a long service life. Furthermore, the risk of injury is far lower because plastic does not splinter", explains Uli Martin, Corporate Communications Manager at the DKR. Mayor Ingo Fokken and Siglinde Porsch, political chair of the local council, are particularly happy about the anticipated cost benefits for their town. "We are convinced that the maintenance costs that are
normally incurred for re-impregnation or the exchange of individual parts will drop in future", says Fokken.
The DKR and some of its partner companies sponsored the playground equipment and other architectural elements made of recycled plastic. "We think the material is terrific: It's colourful, not as cold as concrete and can be dried up quickly after a shower of rain, so there is less danger of the children catching cold", says Ilke Wilke, a teacher at the Silberberg school in Geesthacht. Furthermore, the children can see for themselves how crisp bags or shampoo bottles from yellow bags and bins are recycled and used once again.
This project will have a trailblazing effect throughout Germany. Simply because the architects, building authorities and manufacturers of playground equipment only knew very little about the advantages of recycled plastic and its excellent life cycle analysis to date.
In the coming years, experts will check how the recycled plastic stands up to normal wear and tear by comparing this playground to a similar one equipped with conventional materials. The criteria processing properties, service life, weather resistance, safety, procurement and maintenance costs and resistance to vandalism will be investigated over a period of about five years.
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