BPI.VISQUEEN DEMONSTRATES COMMITMENT TO GREENER FARMING

In line with its commitment to facilitating greener farming practices, bpi.visqueen has demonstrated its ability to close the loop on polythene waste. The leading manufacturer of horticultural films is working closely with Scottish co-operative machinery ring Ringlink to help farmers recycle their used agricultural film.

Ringlink co-ordinates the supply and demand of agricultural machinery and equipment to over 2600 members in North-East Scotland. As well as providing access to labour pools and training courses, the machinery ring also sources agricultural products including bpi.visqueen’s black carrot polythene film.

“bpi.visqueen not only supplies Ringlink members with the highest quality films, it also plays a crucial role in helping these farmers to dispose of the material after use,” explained Andy Barber, Sales Manager at bpi.visqueen. “In particular, we’ve recently completed a pilot project designed to simplify farmers’ waste disposal demands. To date, this programme has seen great success and we’re keen to work with more farmers to ensure that they can enjoy the same benefits.

He continued: “Traditionally, carrot film is especially difficult to recycle due to the high amounts of straw and debris contamination. However, with the installation of modern machinery and equipment and with considerable time and effort on behalf of the farmers involved, we’ve found that we can maximise the amount of polythene that can be kept in circulation. It’s by working closely with these farmers that we’ve managed to put this closed loop recycling initiative into practice.”

Thanks to bpi.visqueen’s close links with sister division bpi.recycled products – Europe’s largest recycler of polythene waste recycling over 68,000 tonnes of material each year – this reusable polythene can be reprocessed and used to create new products, including high-performance building films, plastic furniture and 100% recycled polythene refuse sacks.

Commenting on the recycling scheme, Graham Bruce from Ringlink, said: “It’s fantastic to be involved in a closed loop recycling initiative and we’re absolutely delighted with the success we’ve seen so far. It’s an added bonus that as well as helping our members to improve their green credentials, bpi.visqueen’s black carrot polythene can actually add value to a farming operation – reducing spoilage and helping to ensure a maximum harvest.”

Concluding, Andy Barber added: “As a market leading business, bpi.visqueen is committed to helping today’s farmers to operate in a more sustainable manner. The recycling initiative with Ringlink is a perfect example of this commitment and we’re hoping to further build on this success of this scheme in the future by working closely both with Ringlink and with other organisations across the UK.”

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IMAGE & CAPTION: bpi carrot film.jpg: Closing the loop. bpi.visqueen has been working with Ringlink to help its members dispose of their polythene waste in a more sustainable way.

For more information please contact Wayne Mohammed or Emma Macey at PRECISION on 0161 638 8714 or email: wayne@precision-online.co.uk or emma@precision-online.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

• British Polythene Industries (BPI) plc is a European leader in the manufacture of polythene film products and a leading global supplier of agricultural and horticultural films.

• bpi.visqueen, a division of British Polythene Industries, operates from a network of sites across the UK, including production facilities in Ardeer, Greenock and Swansea.

• bpi.visqueen’s extensive product portfolio includes heavy-duty sacks, pallet protection products and speciality wide width films. These products are employed by some of Europe’s biggest names in agriculture, horticulture, pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

• bpi.visqueen complements its broad range of products with high quality flexographic printing capabilities, advanced conversion processes and in-depth technical experience to deliver leading-edge film solutions/formats.

• 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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