Recycled plastic picnic tables are a popular choice for UK schools because they are safe, maintenance-free, and built to last. They won’t rot, splinter, or warp, making them ideal for busy outdoor learning and play spaces.
With accessible designs, easy-clean surfaces, and strong sustainability credentials, recycled plastic furniture helps schools reduce lifetime costs while supporting greener school grounds.
- Recycled plastic picnic tables are used in schools across the UK
- They’re the perfect picnic tables for schools because there’s zero maintenance, repair or replacements required
- Recycled plastic won’t rot, warp, crack, or splinter
- Safe for children and suitable for all ages
- Choose from a variety of accessible options available, including wheelchair-friendly designs
- Made from recycled plastic – supports school sustainability goals
- Also available: benches, planters, raised beds, fencing, and bins for complete outdoor spaces
Over 800+ UK schools have our recycled plastic picnic tables on their school grounds. They’re loved by school managers, grounds , facility and site managers and bursars, and with good reason. Suitable for all ages – from infants to adults.
5 Benefits of Using Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables For Schools
Recycled plastic picnic tables offer several key benefits, what are the key advantages of recycled plastic outdoor furniture for school environments?
No Maintenance – Lower Lifetime Costs
Unlike wood, these picnic tables require no upkeep, leading to 100% savings on maintenance and replacement costs.
Long-Lasting – Will Never Rot
Recycled plastic tables stay intact and look new for years, even when exposed to harsh weather.
Graffiti Resistant – Easy to Clean
Graffiti can be easily removed with fine wire wool and WD40, keeping picnic benches looking clean and fresh.
Safe – No Warping, Cracking, or Splinters
These picnic benches won’t warp, crack, or splinter, making them safe for children.
Eco-Friendly – Reduced Carbon Footprint
Made from recycled materials, these picnic benches are an environmentally responsible choice, appealing to eco-conscious buyers.
Choose recycled plastic for a durable, low-maintenance, and sustainable solution for your school’s outdoor furniture needs.
Best Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables Suitable For Schools in the UK
V-Frame Picnic Tables
Our innovative Batley Picnic Table for schools has a V-frame, allowing users to walk right into their seat without the need to swing their leg over the bench. It’s a great option for anyone who has limited mobility or uses walking aids and needs a little extra space to manoeuvre.
Activity Picnic Tables
Our Otley Activity Picnic Tables for schools will keep kids of all ages occupied and are available in both standard and junior sizes. There’s a wide range of activity table-top designs to choose from, including a simple wipeable whiteboard.
A-Frame Picnic Tables
Our traditional A-frame picnic table – the Denholme – is our flagship picnic table for schools. It seats four adults or six youngsters and offers classic style with simple functionality.
In the same range is the Holmfirth Junior Picnic Tables, best suited to kids up to eight years old.
There’s also an accessible version – the Bradshaw Picnic Table – which has space cut out for wheelchair access – no more sitting sideways and getting a stiff neck. There’s loads of room for footrests, too.
More Benches & Picnic Tables for Schools
If you need something a bit bigger, our eight-seater Calder picnic tables are for you. Heavy-duty, smart and practical, we can also remove two adjacent half-seats to provide wheelchair access. Also available with extended seating and backrests.
We also offer a range of benches including the Harewood, Ilkley and our backless bench, the Oakworth. For changing rooms and poolside, check out our Skipton bench, which has side-on seat slats to reduce pooling water. It’s available in a curved design, too.
There’s also our popular rainbow Buddy Benches, offering anyone who needs a bit of company a way to reach out without having to ask directly.
More Ideas For Recycled Plastic in Schools
Planters – as well as being a useful and easy-on-the-eye way to define space – make superb “Smog Shields”. Order in custom sizes and place at your school gates to reduce roadside pollution and improve the air quality of your grounds. Easy-assembly raised bed kits and composters are the perfect choice if you’re developing your horticulture department, too.
Our recycled plastic posts and planks are great for fencing and outdoor constructions, as well as for decking, boardwalks and dipping platforms.
Steel-lined litter bins are also available in both black and brown, offering the same zero-maintenance durability as the rest of our range.
Championing Sustainability in Schools
Championing sustainability in schools is pivotal for nurturing environmentally conscious leaders, and the ethos of green schools extends beyond the classroom to practical, eco-friendly implementation. Forest schools in the UK, with their unique outdoor learning experiences, exemplify this commitment, offering students a direct connection with nature while contributing to broader sustainability goals. Introducing sustainability in schools involves more than just curriculum adjustments; it includes hands-on projects and innovative eco-friendly initiatives.
The Green Schools Project, for instance, serves as an invaluable resource, guiding schools in their journey towards environmental stewardship. British recycled plastic products play a crucial role in this narrative, offering sustainable alternatives for infrastructure and materials.
As schools incorporate sustainability into their core mission, the use of eco-friendly British recycled plastic products becomes a tangible step towards reducing the carbon footprint. The shift towards outdoor schools in the UK not only underscores the significance of nature-centric education but also opens avenues for integrating recycled plastic solutions, promoting environmentally friendly practices. By embracing recycled plastic products, schools can create truly eco-friendly campuses, ensuring a sustainable legacy for generations to come.
Written by the British Recycled Plastic team.
Update May 2026
Keeping your British Recycled Plastic picnic tables in top condition is simple and requires minimal effort. You can give them a wipe down with a damp cloth every now and then. Some owners give their picnic benches an annual blast with a jet wash, particularly if they are under trees where sap can get on them.
Building a plastic picnic table can be an enjoyable and rewarding project, especially when using sustainable materials like British Recycled Plastic artificial lumber/ plastic wood. Our Lumber is Maintenance-free with a 25 year guarantee. It will not rot, split or splinter and can be worked like wood. We have a wide range of recycled plastic rectangular lumber, square lumber, lumber planks and decking lumber below. Please See our artificial lumber page for more information.
Painting a British Recycled plastic picnic table is not recommended or indeed needed. Unlike wooden picnic benches, recycled plastic picnic tables are designed to be low-maintenance and retain their colour without the need for painting or staining.
One of the many benefits of outdoor picnic benches made from recycled plastic is their long-lasting, fade-resistant colour. These tables are available in a variety of colours (even rainbow!) to suit any outdoor space, so there’s no need for additional painting. Opting for recycled plastic picnic tables ensures you get a durable, weather-resistant, and eco-friendly product that looks great for years with minimal effort.
For a vibrant, long-lasting, value added alternative to traditional options, choose recycled plastic picnic tables over painted outdoor picnic tables.
Recycled plastic lumber should always be stored laid flat on delivery, until you start work on it.
In common with all of our products, all of our recycled plastic picnic benches are sent out via the national pallet network, strapped to standard 1000mm x 1200mm pallets. Most picnic benches go on two pallets and, if they are flat-packed, can be stacked five high on the same two pallets. If they are fully assembled then they can be stacked two high.
The delivery cost is included for mainland UK addresses, other than Highlands and Islands for which our hauliers charge a slight premium.
Yes, our picnic benches come with a hole for a parasol unless specified otherwise. If you don’t require a hole, let us know.
After a number of years experimenting with blends, we have found it very difficult to produce a consistent yellow plastic without introducing what, to us, is an unacceptable amount of virgin material into the mixture. This has led us switching to a bright lime colour, similar to that used on hi-viz jackets, as our alternative. So far, this has gone down very well with our customers.
We are not in a position to comment on the amounts of virgin plastic used by other companies in the production of their yellow. Perhaps you can ask them yourselves.
British Recycled Plastic picnic tables are either fully black, fully brown or with black or brown frames and seats and tops in any combination of blue, red, forest green, lilac, pink, orange, grey and bright lime.
British Recycled Plastic can unequivocally guarantee that our picnic tables will never rot. Not ever. They are chemically inert so there is absolutely no organic matter that can decay in anyway. We even give them a 25 year guarantee.
No, British Recycled Plastic picnic tables will never split or splinter in any way.
