The purchase price is only the beginning. A wooden park bench needs painting, impregnation and replacement of some boards every year – which means maintenance staff time, materials and new boards. Below we calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a bench with wooden boards and one with Ecoplank recycled plastic boards.
In short: maintaining one wooden bench costs about PLN 200 a year, and 30 benches about PLN 6,000 a year. A set of Ecoplank boards for a bench costs more up front, but the difference pays back in the second season. Over 15 years a municipality with 30 benches saves about PLN 85,000 (gross).
1. What it costs to maintain a wooden bench
We assume that a wooden park bench needs renovation once a year. Approximate costs:
| Angabe | Cost | Per bench |
|---|---|---|
| Paint for renovating 3–5 benches | approx. PLN 100 | PLN 25 |
| Impregnating agents for 3–5 benches | approx. PLN 100 | PLN 25 |
| Maintenance staff time: 2–3 h per bench | approx. PLN 40 per man-hour | PLN 100 |
| New boards: 15–20% of boards replaced each year (a bench has 5 boards) | PLN 30–50 per board | PLN 35 |
| Cutting and fitting replacement boards (approx. 0.5 h per board) | PLN 40 per man-hour | PLN 17.50 |
| Total per bench per year | approx. PLN 202.50 |
Gross prices, constant (no inflation). For the calculation we take mid-range values: one tin of paint and one pack of impregnant per 4 benches, 2.5 h of work, PLN 40 per board, 17.5% of boards replaced.
Example: 30 benches in a park
Renovating 30 benches realistically takes 7–10 working days of maintenance staff time, i.e. about PLN 3,000–3,500 for labour alone. Paint and impregnants cost about PLN 1,500, and preparing and replacing 15–20% of damaged boards adds roughly another PLN 1,500. That is about PLN 6,000 a year – money that can be saved by using Ecoplank recycled plastic boards.
2. Total cost over 15 years
To the maintenance costs we add the purchase price of the boards. The bench frame (steel or concrete), foundation and installation are the same in both variants, so we leave them out. 15 years is the warranty period for Ecoplank boards.
| Holz | Ecoplank | |
|---|---|---|
| Boards for one bench (5 pcs) | PLN 200 (5 × PLN 40) | PLN 409 (5 × PLN 81.84) |
| Maintenance per year | PLN 202.50 | PLN 0 |
| One bench over 15 years | PLN 3,238 | PLN 409 |
| 30 benches over 15 years | PLN 97,125 | PLN 12,276 |
| Saving with 30 benches | PLN 84,849 |
Ecoplank board price: SQ32×150 flat board, 190 cm long, black, gross list price in the ecoplank.com.pl shop (October 2026); other colours up to PLN 86.89. For municipal orders we prepare an individual quote.
Cumulative cost of 30 benches, PLN gross
- Wood – purchase and renovation
- Ecoplank – purchase only
- Saving
- Payback point
Horizontal axis: years of use. The lines cross in the second season – from then on every year is a pure saving. The chart changes together with the calculator below.
3. Calculate for your benches
Replace the assumptions with your own – for example the hourly rate or how often you renovate. The default values are the 30-bench example.
4. What this calculation leaves out
The comparison is deliberately conservative. It does not include:
- Rising wages and material prices – we calculate in constant prices, while the cost of renovating wood grows with labour costs every year.
- Benches out of use while paint dries and boards are replaced.
- Splinters and cracked boards – Ecoplank boards do not splinter, rot or need sanding.
- Disposal of painted wood – Ecoplank boards are 100% recyclable after use.
Each Ecoplank bench also contains about 41.5 kg of recycled plastic – see how much recycled plastic is in a park bench.
5. So rechnen wir
Annual maintenance cost of a wooden bench = renovation time × hourly rate + paint and impregnant + share of replaced boards × number of boards × (board price + 0.5 h of fitting × hourly rate).
Total cost of wood = boards at the start + maintenance cost × number of renovations in the period. Total cost of Ecoplank = boards at the start. Washing benches with water is the same in both variants, so we leave it out.
The wood assumptions are the approximate renovation costs from the table in section 1. In a quote for a municipality we calculate them for the specific site.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
How much does it cost to maintain a wooden park bench?
With renovation once a year – about PLN 200 gross per bench: about PLN 100 of staff time, PLN 50 of paint and impregnant and about PLN 50 for replacing damaged boards. For 30 benches that is about PLN 6,000 a year.
How long does it take for Ecoplank boards to pay back?
A set of 5 Ecoplank boards for a bench costs about PLN 409 gross, about PLN 209 more than wooden boards. With yearly renovation of wood the difference pays back in the second season; with renovation every two years – in the fourth year.
Do Ecoplank boards need painting or impregnation?
No. Recycled plastic boards need no painting, impregnation or sanding – washing with water is enough. They come with a 15-year warranty.
Can we replace only the boards on existing benches?
Yes. Ecoplank boards are cut with ordinary woodworking tools and fixed with ordinary screws, so they can be fitted to existing steel or concrete frames. Tell us what frames you have and we will match the board profile and length.
Planning to replace benches or build a new park? Send us the number and type of benches – we will prepare a quote for Ecoplank boards and a total cost calculation for your site.