Synthetic Rattan Now day’s rattan is also made from a kind of plastic typed material called polyethylene. It is designed to resemble rattan, bamboo and wicker. There are many great advantages with this, as its generally weather-proof, resistant to ultraviolet rays and extremely durable. Polyethylene is a flexible and lightweight plastic. This material can be woven into various shapes to create the item desired. Normally, the rattan is wrapped round an aluminium frame to keep it from rusting and also to keep it lightweight but strong at the same time. Natural rattan is harvested from trees in all different countries. Another great advantage of synthetic rattan is that it’s less likely to break or snap. The materials are very strong and require little or no maintenance and so can last for ma