FAQs

Future Posts are made from 100% recycled single-use and waste plastics diverted from landfill. We mostly recycle plastic types 2 (High Density Polyethylene), 4 (Low Density Polyethylene) and 5 (Polypropylene) with type 7 plastics occasionally added into the mix. The only thing we add to the waste plastic is Carbon Black, an ultra-violet (UV) light inhibitor which provides long-lasting UV stability. By turning our posts and rails black also means we can recycle every colour waste plastic!

The only thing we add to the waste plastic is UV Carbon Black, a UV inhibitor which provides long-lasting UV stability. By turning the posts and rails black also means we can recycle every colour waste plastic which is a big bonus from a waste sorting and recycling perspective!

No. Our products do not contain CCA (Copper, Chromium, Arsenic) which is traditionally used to treat timber posts in New Zealand to slow damage from rotting, fungi and insects. Independent tests have shown that Future Posts do not leach such toxins and have been approved by Bio Gro New Zealand for use in organic farms, orchards and similar settings.

When asked this question, we answer that the life expectancy is more than 50 years … but the honest answer is “we simply don’t know and it's probably hundreds if not thousands of years!” Plastic will naturally degrade from exposure to UV light which weakens the chemical bonds and embrittles the plastic. However, the rate of degradation is very, very slow – untreated plastics of the type used in Future Posts degrade in the environment by 1.3um to 22um (0.0013mm/year to 0.022 mm/year for HDPE and LDPE respectively). For the mix of plastics typically in a Future Post, that means the post will degrade at a rate of around 10% of thickness of a hair every year! While a standard 125mm diameter Future Post might not last the entire 15,000 years this rate of degradation would imply, it is certainly likely to be many generations. During 15 months of independent accelerated lifetime testing under high heat and extreme UV exposure, the strength of the sample had not decreased over the 6 year test-equivalent period, and this testing underpins our 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. As for colourfastness, for our earliest posts installed over five years ago, no noticeable changes in post structure or colour have been observed.

No! Since our inception, owners of crib-biting stock such as horses and goats have found no chewing of Future Post posts or rails which greatly adds to longevity in the fence line as well as lasting good looks.

We can recycle many different waste plastic items and plastic types, however, in easy to understand terms, there is the equivalent of approximately 250 milk bottles and 1100 bread bags in a single 125mm/1.8m post. That's more milk and bread packaging diverted from national landfill than most families consume in several years!

Future Posts are solid plastic posts that can be installed the same as regular timber posts, including with a post-driver or vibrating digger head. In hard ground, install as per timber posts by pre-spiking holes or using existing post holes. You may find some small modifications to your technique may initially be required when installing Future Posts, however most people put a few posts in, get a feel for them and away they go. Being careful with post straightness during the first few taps can assist the final result, particular with taller posts. These may also benefit from some support half-way down the post during installation. See our Installation page for more details and advice.

Future Posts can be nailed, stapled, screwed, cut, drilled and bolted. Being very high density (more like a hardwood) means some minor changes to fixing or installation techniques may assist. For example, clean threaded screws work well, others (with Type 17 notch in tip) may need to be pre-drilled. Embed nails and staples with a few lighter taps first before hitting in as normal. The posts have very high grip retention. You're welcome to contact us for specific fixture recommendations to suit your project.

Yes! We recommend using 40mm x 4mm staples - tap to embed a few times to get the staple started, then hit in like normal. We find "NZ Wire" 40mm x 4m staples work well for their nice parallel shape and sharp tips for going into this high density, hardwood-like product. Air compressed staples guns (40mm and 50mm) also work well.

No - a major cost and time saving for electric fencing! Future Posts are non-conductive so insulators are not required - simply staple your hot wire directly to the post. You can however still use insulators if you wish or other support brackets if your fencing solution requires them.

Generally, you can use exactly the same spacing as you would for timber posts. This will vary depending on your terrain and fencing material being used.

Yes. For strainer posts we offer a 200mm diameter post in a range of lengths from 2.4m to 3m. While Future Posts are a strong as timber, due to their additional flexibility, when used in high strain situations such as 9 wire fencing, long row vineyards etc, we recommend using box / horizontal stay arrangements or a tie-back setup. Contact us for specific advice for your fencing situation.

The primary sources of microplastics (plastic pieces less than 5mm diameter) in our environment are plastic textile fibres from washing machines, rubber tyre wear on roads and raw plastic granules inadvertently being washed down drains at manufacturing sites. Nevertheless, embrittlement of larger plastic items that are exposed to UV light can create microplastics and reducing the risk that such fragments may arise can only benefit the environment. The rate of such degradation is primarily a function of the surface area of the plastic exposed to UV light and whether the plastic product has been treated to protect it against UV light damage. The surface area of a Future Post is 99.9% less than that of all the waste milk bottles and bread bags that typically make up a post. Even that 99.9% value is too low, as roughly one-third of every Future Post will be driven into the ground and not be exposed to UV light. Finally, we add carbon black to each Future Post (this is what makes every post black). This additive has long been used in the plastics industry to significantly reduces the rate of plastic degradation. By being a recycler of thousands of tonnes the waste that might otherwise end up as litter or in landfills each year, Future Post significantly reduces the microplastics that might otherwise find their way into the oceans or our food chain. The density and geometry of our posts also means that they are extremely unlikely to be, themselves, a source of microplastics. And finally, Future Posts are made from materials very similar to those used to make mobile garbage bins - which have long been trusted as part of the chain of waste stewardship that lowers the risk of microplastics pollution.

Yes they can! Should you ever break a post, we can recycle it again at Future Post and provide you with a replacement.

We have two New Zealand production factories in Waiuku and in Blenheim.

Please get in touch with us direct for information and pricing to your location.