Building a brighter, greener future.
Sustainability and environmental safety are our highest priorities. McWane’s sustainable infrastructure poles are made of over 96% recycled material and are 100% recyclable.
Further, our Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management system allows us to manufacture our products in an environmentally-compliant and eco-friendly way and provide communities with a foundation for life with clean, safe, and dependable drinking water. At McWane Poles, we not only focus on today’s community; our goal is to protect the environment and our people today and for generations to come.
Wood leaches toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater.
Wood poles are not only more prone to catastrophic damage, they can also be harmful to the environment. Wood poles are frequently treated with pentachlorophenol, which can leach into the ground water and affect public safety. Pentachlorophenol is a manufactured chemical and restricted-used pesticide. It is used in industrial applications as a wood preservative for utility poles, railroad ties and wharf pilings. It is toxic by inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption. In soil, surface water and air, pentachlorophenol is broken down by microorganisms and sunlight into other compounds, some of which may be harmful to humans. The compound can be present in fish or other species used for food, as demonstrated by the ongoing food monitoring program of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The physical and chemical properties of the compound suggest that not much will evaporate into the atmosphere and that most of it will move with water and generally stick to soil particles.
Eco-friendly. From start to finish.
Unlike pentachlorophenol, ductile iron promotes sustainability because it is impermeable to organic contaminants, protecting clean water from environmental spills and the environment from contaminants in wastewater. McWane’s ceramic-epoxy embedment coating and ductile iron material are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to be safe for use in contact with potable water sources. McWane Poles have been used for projects where poles are placed near well water for this reason.
Reducing your carbon footprint.
Ductile iron poles for eco-friendly utilities weigh less than wood poles and are much lighter than concrete. Because ductile poles are so lightweight and do not require as much energy and fuel to transport, they reduce carbon emissions as well as lower transportation costs.
Reducing deforestation.
Every ductile iron pole saves two to three trees from being cut down, and because ductile iron lasts more than twice as long as wood poles, they don’t need to be replaced as frequently, saving even more trees throughout its lifecycle.
