Instead of letting the thousands of miniature partisan election billboards go to waste, Montgomery County is following the example of Arizona and Texas by turning them into synthetic lumber, writes Colt Shaw for Philly.com.

The County has been collecting the billboards from past elections for the last five years. This both gets them off the streets and gives them a new use in the only program of its kind in the region.

The metal frames are turned into scrap metal, while the flimsy plastic film signs are sold to Cougle’s Recycling to be converted into synthetic lumber and other materials. The sturdier plastic signs are sold to ReCommunity Recycling in Montgomeryville to get a new life as lawn chairs, trash bins, and other items.

Montgomery County recycling manager, Veronica Harris, said the results can be viewed as a consolation prize for people disappointed in the outcome of the election.

“So even if you feel at the end of the campaign that you’re not happy with the result,” she said, “you can be happy knowing where your sign is going to end up.”

Read more about the initiative at Philly.com by clicking here.