My view on this having work in the world of WPC for some 12 years is this…..
There is no other product that is as versatile as wood. Harwood when treated correctly is without doubt the best looking product. That said the new generations of WPC (with capping) offers some added value that cannot be ignored in this short term world we live in. Warrantees are now available from the likes of Trex covering colour fade and stain of 25 years.
WPc still does not have the best image as the quality of products mainly from China have held back Europe,s uptake significantly. The USA, Asia and other areas have a larger uptake of WPc but this is still only a modest percentage of the overall market volume/value.
Usage of WPC products is increasing significantly faster than either soft or hardwood variants and this trend will continue for at least the next 5 years.