Partnership Profile
Product Promotes Healthy Ecosystems and Rural Economy
Western juniper and pinyon pine have spread over millions of acres of rangeland in the west, lowering the water table and increasing erosion and pollution of streams and lakes. Researchers in Engineered Composites Sciences developed a composite panel made from juniper and recycled high-density polyethylene plastic as a means to better utilize and add value to this resource while helping to alleviate some of these ecological tensions.
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With the help of FPL's Technology Marketing Unit, P&M Signs, Inc., of Mountainair, New Mexico, now produces Altree™ based on this research. Altree™ is a high-value wood-plastic composite that is non-corrosive, insect and mold resistant, nontoxic, and stable in all weather conditions.
It can be used in many applications, including signage, decking, fencing, picnic tables, park benches, tool handles and landscape timbers. Altree™ has been a success for the company and the community; major customers include the U.S. Forest Service, New Mexico Highway Department, New Mexico State Parks, New Mexico Game and Fish, and National Parks.
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