bpi.recycled products helps local authority to close the loop on polythene waste

PRESS RELEASE

April 2011

bpi.recycled products is helping a progressive local authority to close the loop on polythene waste. The business - which ranks as Europe’s largest polythene recycler and as a leading manufacturer of refuse sacks, recycled plastic furniture and building films - is working closely with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council to help dispose of the council’s old wheelie bins.

Under the scheme, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has been supplying standard household 240 litre bins to bpi.recycled products for recycling at the business’ Environment Agency accredited sites across the UK. From there, the resulting recyclate is used to manufacture new products including bpi.recycled products’ ultra-green refuse sacks known as The Green Sack®. As Rhondda Cynon Taf Council uses these refuse sacks there is actually a strong likelihood that it is reusing its own waste material.

A firm favourite with local authorities, retailers, contract cleaning companies and facilities management businesses, The Green Sack® range owes its impressive environmental credentials to the fact that they are not only made from 100% recycled material, but that all the necessary recycling takes place in the UK. This gives them a carbon footprint that is much lower than most other refuse sacks which are either produced from virgin materials or manufactured in the Far East and then imported, resulting in massive product miles.

Speaking of the scheme, Nathan Bradbeer, Purchasing Manager at bpi.recycled products, said: “As Europe’s largest polythene recycler recycling in excess of 68,000 tonnes of material per year, bpi.recycled products is perfectly placed to help organisations use polythene products in a more sustainable way. Since the partnership with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council began in August 2010, we have helped them to dispose of over 7.42 tonnes of unwanted wheelie bins, keeping that waste out of landfill and in circulation. We are delighted with the success seen so far and are actively looking to introduce similar schemes with other local authorities across the UK.”

Nigel Wheeler, Service Director for Street Care at Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough County Council, added: “At Rhondda Cynon Taf Council we take our commitment to the environment seriously. We already have a municipal waste strategy and strong green policies in place and also work hard to encourage recycling from residents and businesses within our region. Working with bpi.recycled products on this latest initiative is a natural extension of this.”

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Images & captions:   Green Sack 1.jpg: Closing the loop. bpi.recycled products and Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council are working to close the loop on polythene waste.

For more information on this story, contact Wayne Mohammed or Emma Macey at PRECISION on 0161 638 8718 or e-mail: wayne@precision-online.co.uk or emma@precision-online.co.uk

Editor’s notes:

• bpi.recycled products is the largest recycler of used polythene in Europe recycling over 70,000 tonnes of post-use polythene material from commercial, retail, industrial and agricultural markets.

• bpi.recycled products uses some of these materials to manufacture its award winning Plaswood range of sustainable wood-substitute products. These products include park and garden furniture, street and countryside signs, bollards and marine decking.

• The environmental benefits of recycling plastic are becoming more widely recognised: maximising reusable material, diverting waste from landfill and conserving resources. bpi.recycled products has developed the necessary expertise and the infrastructure in the form of a network of Environment Agency accredited recycling plants to help drive these benefits forward.

• bpi.recycled products is a division of BPI (British Polythene Industries) plc, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of polythene films, bags and sacks.

• As a result of its commitment to operating in a sustainable way and to minimising the environmental impact of all of its activities, BPI won the Best Green Large Company category at the 2010 Scottish Green Awards.

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