Are EcoPoste Signposts Safer Than Metal or Wood?

An EcoPoste signpost on display at Peppers Creek Marina in Dagsboro, DE

Most of us drive past dozens of signposts everyday on our morning commute and don’t give them a second thought—until safety is on the line. Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz about EcoPoste, a signpost made from recycled plastic. But how does it stack up against the traditional metal and wood posts we’re used to seeing everywhere?

What Happens When a Car Hits a Signpost?

EcoPoste Recycled Plastic Signposts:
These posts are designed to bend and collapse if a car hits them. That means they’re way less likely to smash through your windshield or cause your car to flip. Basically, they absorb the impact and get out of the way—keeping everyone safer. They’re the only sustainable signpost to earn the MASH crash testing certification, neither wood or metal signpost have earned this designation. Plus, after a crash, they can be recycled again and completing the product cycle.

Wooden Posts:
Wood can be unpredictable. If it’s not specially designed to break away, it can splinter or even go right through a car’s windshield and each one varies depending on the knots in the grain, the grade of the lumber and the quality that the wood is currently in at the time of an impact. Another factor is if they’re not installed right, they can still be dangerous.

Metal Posts:
Metal is strong, but that’s not always a good thing. If a metal post doesn’t have a special breakaway base, depending on it’s size, it can be like hitting a brick wall. Most new metal posts are designed to break away, but if they’re old or not maintained it can pierce through the windshield if it snaps - they can be almost as unpredictable as wood.

How Do They Hold Up Over Time?

EcoPoste North:
These recycled plastic posts don’t rust, rot, or get eaten by bugs. They’re built to last, even in harsh weather, and require virtually no maintenance.

Wood:
Wooden posts can rot, get moldy, or be infested with insects. They need to be replaced more often, and treated wood isn’t great for the environment as it can’t be recycled or even burned because of the chemicals used when treating it. Unfortunately, they’ll inevitably end up in the landfill after a crash.

Metal:
Metal posts are durable, but they can rust, bend and twist, especially in wet or salty areas.

What About the Environment?

EcoPoste North:
These posts are made from 100% recycled plastic, plastic from household goods like laundry detergent containers, plastic bottles and anything that would otherwise end up in a landfill or the ocean are used to make EcoPoste. Each day 15-20 tons of plastic is used to make EcoPoste and that number only continues to grow. The production of EcoPoste saves trees from being cut down for the use of treated wood signposts. Once an EcoPoste has been involved in a crash, it can be recycled into another signpost - again reducing waste and saving trees.

Wood:
Treated wood signposts involves cutting down trees and using chemicals to treat them so they can be used outside. Every one or two years they should be treated and stained again so they can maintain their durability - but who has ever seen someone staining a wooden signpost on the side of the road? Once they’ve rotted, decayed or been involved in an accident, they’ll go the the landfill since they can’t be recycled or burned because of the chemicals.

Metal:
Metal can be recycled, but making it in the first place uses a lot of energy and resources. It requires coke coal to fuel the production of them metal, which needs to be mined for to begin with. The production of the metal signposts is a large contributor to water and air pollution, one of the worst out of all industries actually. It’s a durable product we’ll admit but it's one of the harshest on our environment for many different reasons.

The Bottom Line

If you care about safety, the environment, and saving money on maintenance, EcoPoste is your best bet. They’re safer in crashes, will likely last longer, and are far better for the planet than traditional wood or metal signposts. Next time you see a road sign, you might just wonder if it’s one of our eco-friendly posts—keeping drivers safer and the world a little greener.

Have you seen EcoPoste North in your area? What do you think about making the switch to recycled plastic signposts? Let us know!

Stay up to date and follow @EcoPosteNorth everywhere.

PWX 2024 Winner - Best New Product

PWX24 - Best New Product

We are thrilled to announce that at the recent PWX24 (American Public Works Expo) in Atlanta, GA, EcoPoste proudly took home the prestigious award for the ‘Best New Product’ for our innovative 100% recycled signposts. EcoPoste North’s Andrew Saygnavong made an excellent presentation to the attendees of the show where he explained all of the many advantages and benefits of EcoPoste and how we are striving to simultaneously improve road safety and the environmental impact on our planet.

He focused on a number of points that explained the Global Warming Potential of EcoPoste versus that of steel and wood where comparatively they are 5 times and 0.4 times greater GWP 100/kg CO2eq respectively. Over time after each type of post is replaced it’s impact on the environment and it’s GWP grows and compounds, only worsening it’s impact on the environment. The benefit of EcoPoste signposts is that they are tested to have a lifespan of 50+ years and when they eventually do need to be replaced, they can be recycled to once again form another signpost. EcoPoste is a perfect example of a product that fits into a circular economy, where no material goes to waste.

Not only did Andrew mention the environmental benefits of EcoPoste but also the safety benefits of having a post that bends upon impact and curves around the vehicle or in some instances, driven right over, instead of snapping and potentially penetrating through the windshield as a projectile.

EcoPoste signpost bending over the hood of a car upon collision at 70kmh

Wooden signpost penetrating through a windshield upon collision.

With these major benefits to road safety and our environment, it’s very much appreciated by PWX for EcoPoste signposts being recognized as the ‘Best New Product’ and we ae excited to spread the word to more people about what we have to offer.

As the official North American distributor for EcoPoste, we are your source for a sustainable solution to signposts.

Contact: info@ecopostenorth.com for more information.

the beginning of ecoposte north

EcoPoste is a company founded in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2007 with the idea of bringing a safer alternative to metal and wood sign posts using recycled plastic, a two-for-one approach to saving lives and the environment at the same time, with a single product. With crash tested products, thousands installed already in Europe and South America, and with 400 trees saved for every 1000 EcoPoste sign posts installed, it’s time to consider the sustainable alternative to the traditional wood and metal sign posts.

Although it may be a new concept to North America, EcoPoste has already installed well over 350,000 sign posts in over 11 different countries around the world. And with North America having some of the most vast infrastructures and countless signs installed along these roads, along with nearly 20,000 vehicle related deaths in the first half of 2023 in the US alone (https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813514) , the opportunity to help reduce this number by installing EcoPoste sign posts is crucial. While the crash testing of EcoPoste has proven to be more effective than traditional sign posts, it also saves waste by recycling 5-8 tonnes of recycled plastic everyday to manufacture EcoPoste sign posts.

Located in Canada, EcoPoste North is here to help communities make road safety a priority by offering all EcoPoste products across both Canada and the US. With round, square and rectangular sign posts available, get in touch today about replacing your existing metal or wood sign posts with the environmentally friendly alternative.

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Email: info@ecopostenorth.com