Making benches out of bottle tops

bpi.recycled products has given a group of primary school children in South Wales a unique insight into the benefits and possibilities of recycling.

The business - which ranks not only as a leading manufacturer of refuse sacks, recycled plastic furniture and building films but also as Europe’s largest polythene recycler - has helped pupils turn waste plastic milk bottle tops into one of its environmentally friendly Plaswood benches.

The bottle tops were collected by children from schools in the Vale of Glamorgan, who were all participating in a scheme supported by both The Vale of Glamorgan Council's Waste Management and Cleansing Section and Eco-Schools. Over the course of a year, their combined efforts led to the collection of nearly 1.15 tonnes of bottle tops that might otherwise have been destined for landfill.

The resultant Plaswood bench - which includes a Playtown activity top and walk-through benches for easier seating - has now been donated to Tŷ Hafan, the family hospice for young lives in Sully, South Wales, which provides care and support for children and young people with life limiting illnesses. The bench has been positioned on the southern, seaward side of the building where it overlooks the Somerset/Devon coast.

Speaking of bpi.recycled products’ participation in the recycling scheme and the subsequent charity donation, Gerry McGarry, Commercial Director at the business, said: “bpi.recycled product is delighted to have played a part in this project. Not only has it allowed us to inspire young minds and to support Tŷ Hafan’s invaluable work, but it’s also enabled us to demonstrate how waste polythene can be given a new lease of life.”

“Plaswood can be created from waste polythene from a wide variety of domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural sources and offers all the aesthetics of wood but with none of the associated maintenance requirements. For instance, it does not require painting or rotproofing. Plus, it’s resistant to vandal and insect attack.

“It’s also incredibly versatile. It can be used to create everything from picnic and park benches to decking, fencing, gates, pontoons, signage, bollards and more.”

Chief Technician David Roberts, an RAF serviceman stationed in the Vale of Glamorgan, who was involved in organising both the bottle top collection scheme and donation of the bench to Tŷ Hafan added: “We’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone at bpi.recycled products. By turning the bottle tops into a Plaswood bench they were able to really illustrate the benefits of recycling to children involved in the collection scheme. Their subsequent donation to Tŷ Hafan was equally generous and is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated by the hospice and by all the individuals and families that it supports.”

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Images & captions:   Plaswood Ty Hafan.jpg: The top table. The Plaswood bench created from old bottle tops at Tŷ Hafan hospice.                                     

Pictured (left to right): Gerry McGarry, bpi.recycled products, Mr Frank Ady, Tŷ Hafan, Chief Technician David Roberts and pupils from Holton Primary School who were involved in the collection scheme. 

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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