When you’re ordering lockers for your locker room, the environment might not be the first thing on your mind. The impact you’re making on the earth is worth a thought though, particularly if you’re considering lockers made of plastic or metal. A plastic locker, like anything made of plastic, puts a strain on the environment. Metal lockers have their own issues, because of the excavation of minerals necessary for their production, making wooden lockers the most environmentally friendly choice.

Do you know that plastic is made of petroleum? In fact, the production of plastic in the United States uses over 300 billion barrels of petroleum each year, which is about 5 percent of the nation’s petroleum consumption. Not only is this a waste of oil, it’s also dangerous, because petroleum production pollutes the environment, and the use of things made of petroleum pollutes the environment, contaminating the water and air. Plastic doesn’t break down, either. It can last for thousands of years floating in water, and the part of it that does breakdown in landfills ends up leaching chemicals into the soil and groundwater. That might make you think twice before installing plastic lockers.

Of course, metal lockers aren’t much better. The problem with metal is that the components are extracted from the earth through mining, which carries a host of environmental issues. Open pit mining is the most damaging type of mining, because the necessary minerals are found in small concentrations, which means that large amounts of ore must be mined. During this process, unexposed rocks become exposed, and when they’re crushed, they release radioactive elements. During the separation process, mixtures of pulverized rock and liquid containing radioactive elements can leak into bedrock if not controlled. Underground mining also releases toxins, as well as a risk of cave-ins, deforestation and increased sediment in rivers. Leach mining has some advantages over other forms of mining, because the ore body is dissolved before it’s removed, which means there is less surface disturbance. However, the acids that dissolve the ore body tend to impact the host rock as well, and the fluids that remain behind have high concentrations of metals and radioactive isotopes, and this poses a threat to groundwater.

No matter what you’re building, wood is typically an environmentally friendly option. It’s a renewable resource, and because trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, they actually rid the air of pollution. Composite wood in particular is great because it recycles mill waste and old pallets, rather than using virgin wood. The resourcefulness of composite wood combined with its enhanced durability over virgin wood make it the best long-term investment for an environmentally conscience organization. Composite wooden lockers will serve your needs for a very long time, with minimal environmental impact.

If you’re looking for high quality lockers, you owe it to yourself to learn more about wooden lockers. With over 65 years experience in woodworking, Legacy Lockers takes pride in being one of America’s premier sources of custom lockers. Visit the website or call 866-937-1088 to learn how Legacy Lockers can benefit you, your organization and the environment.