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Silverstone MotoGP boosts net-zero efforts with the help of DCW Polymers

Silverstone & DCW Polymers – Strength in Sustainability

Silverstone’s MotoGP – one of the biggest events in the British motorcycling calendar – enlisted the help of South West based recycled plastic furniture manufacturer DCW Polymers this year in a bid to become more sustainable.

Committed to becoming a leading sustainable business and leisure destination through its Net Zero 2030 project;  Northampton-based Silverstone were keen to partner with DCW Polymers* who manufacture durable, long-lasting furniture products made from 100% recycled plastic.

As part of its net zero pledge, Silverstone are committing to a ten-year venue and facility investment strategy that puts sustainability at the centre of operations. This includes finding sustainable alternatives to event facilities whilst maintaining its high standards and quality guest experience. DCW Polymers’ event hire benches are the perfect solution.

Durable outdoor furniture event hire for Silverstone MotoGP

Working Together for a Sustainable Future

Working closely with DCW Polymers, Silverstone selected a range of furniture items to subtly create sociable sections within the Lego Family Zone in Hall One, maximising the space available. Silverstone hired 21 Plymouth picnic benches for the food zone, 6 Exeter Dining Sets for the bar area, and 15 Salcombe modular sofa units to create a comfortable environment for event-goers to relax in the coffee lounge. This zone offered a public food hall for all ticket holders to enjoy hot food, a bar, coffee lounge and Lego activities upstairs.

A further nine Plymouth benches were set up outside Hall One, giving attendees a great view of the pitlane exit so that they could watch their favourite riders re-join the circuit.

Durable outdoor furniture event hire for Silverstone MotoGP

Creating a closed-loop system for plastic waste

By handmaking its furniture out of plastic waste collected from UK businesses, DCW Polymers has a completely closed-loop system for plastic waste in the UK. The Plymouth bench alone contains over 115kg of plastic. That’s the equivalent of over 1,000 plastic sweet tubs!

A smart, sustainable alternative to timber furniture, DCW Polymers’ benches are longer-lasting, more durable, and resistant to damage and vandalism. The furniture is completely weatherproof. As the items are heavy, they cannot be easily moved, maintaining the aesthetic of the event space. The benches at this year’s MotoGP looked as good on day three as they did on day one!  They will go on to see many more events to come!

By choosing DCW Polymers’ sustainable furniture range, Silverstone is supporting the circular economy. The innovative manufacturing process recycles waste plastic into new items, saving valuable energy. It also reduces the need for tree felling!

Durable outdoor furniture event hire for Silverstone MotoGP

A sustainable furniture solution for your next event

Many of the businesses DCW Polymers work with choose to hire furniture products for events, saving storage space. The event hire option is perfect for those who need stylish, sustainable furniture solutions temporarily.

Our experts at can work with event organisers to provide a bespoke solution for any space. We can encourage high footfall with attendees staying at an event for longer thanks to the provision of comfortable furniture.

All of DCW Polymers’ products come with a 25-year guarantee!  Therefore, this is ensuring that hundreds of events can hire the same benches in their lifetime. This provides a more sustainable solution than less durable, timber alternatives that can be subject to damage, and vandalism.

If you are keen to hire our furniture for your next event, please contact the team! Call us on 01392 535353 or email [email protected]

Durable outdoor furniture event hire for Silverstone MotoGP

*For MotoGP, DCW Polymers sponsored the furniture items and took no payment from Silverstone

Silverstone MotoGP boosts net-zero efforts with the help of DCW Polymers Read More »

Sherwell Valley Primary School – Case Study

Future-proof Fencing

In the outskirts of picturesque Torquay, jewel of the English Riviera, Sherwell Valley Primary School provides education to over 700 local children aged 3 to 11. Founded in 1974, the school has undergone extensive rebuilding in order to create a safe and engaging learning environment. We at DCW Polymers proudly supported these efforts by installing 59 meters of our exclusive recycled picket fencing.

At DCW Polymers, we focus on making the best use of the many tonnes of plastic that our society produces. We collect plastics from across the South West and bring them back to our processing plant in Exeter, where they are re-engineered. Fencing made from this material is perfect for school environments like Sherwell; places where rambunctious kids can be hard on their surroundings!

From Old to New

Sherwell used to have traditional wooden fencing enclosing its property, which was a major headache for its maintenance crew. Wooden fencing is susceptible to rot; especially in places like Torquay where the sea-salt breeze can eat away at the natural fibre. When wood rots it’s easier to break, making it dangerous, especially in areas where kids like to run and play.

Some schools get around this by using chain-link fencing or similar solutions. For many, this can make an education environment seem more like a prison. This is why Sherwell chose our Polymer fencing instead; it has the charm and aesthetic of wood, whilst being so durable it comes with a decade’s guarantee. Sherwell’s maintenance crew won’t have to fix or replace it and can spend their time working on other improvments, for the benefit of their students.

Keeping it Efficient

Over the summer we worked with Sherwell Valley and Festers Fencing, another local business (find out more about them here). Our skip stood by to collect all of the old, broken wooden fencing and debris. We brought it back to our plant for processing with the rest of the recyclables. Then we installed 59 meters of brand new fencing around the playground. The kids at Sherwell can now safely run around and get out all of their wiggles during breaks. We also surrounded the ‘quiet area’, where kids who are a bit less energetic can go to relax and just spend time outdoors. Spending time in nature is especially important for children’s development, which is partly why we work so hard to preserve it. We saved any offcuts to bring back to Exeter to feed back into the system, which keeps it efficient and sustainable.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reimagine

“Sherwell Valley Primary is a large and vibrant place where children enjoy learning and teachers love to teach them. Our vision is to achieve ‘excellence in all that we do’ and when the opportunity came for us to modernise our Key Stage 1 playground we adopted that vision – to not only create a safe and fun area for our children to learn and play, but also showcase our values of being community focused and inspirational. The fact that DCW Polymers could provide good quality, 100% recycled fencing made from local plastic waste, fit in with our school values of reduce, reuse, recycle. From start to finish the customer service received by all members of their team was excellent and we are proud to be associated with this new innovative product. We look forward to working with them again.”

-Kate Sharp, School Business Manager

Sherwell’s motto is ‘Education today for the world tomorrow’. At DCW Polymers we are proud to help support this message and help educate our kids on ways to be sustainable and eco-friendly, which is only going to become more important as time goes on. Here’s hoping the little eco-warriors at Sherwell Valley Primary School will grow up to continue our mission!

Thank you to everyone at Sherwell School and Festers Fencing for helping to create a more sustainable planet.

If you are inspired to make your own environment more sustainable, please click here to find out more ways to do so.

If you would like to find out more about our Polymer products, like garden furniture, dog agility equipment, decking and more, please click here

Sherwell Valley Primary School – Case Study Read More »

From Woodland Waste to Sustainable Seating

The Smiling Sheep

10 years ago, Holly and Andrei Szerard moved out of London into a beautiful thatched cottage in Copplestone in mid-Devon. From this idyllic setting, they set up The Smiling Sheep, a smallholding which is home to many animals; chickens, ducks four rare nene geese, a flock of 40 sheep, rare breed pigs, 3 cats and Bodie the dog.

The couple proudly grow a variety of fruit and vegetables here. They have a wool studio where they produce luxury woolen blankets and throws from the wool from their flock. Shortly they will be opening their luxury B&B accommodation again!

The beautiful Smiling Sheep
The beautiful Smiling Sheep

Recently, they acquired a 15 acre neighbouring woodland, which they intend to maintain as a haven of nature and tranquility. They soon set about clearing a lot of fallen trees, overgrown blackthorn and brambles, and trying to restore the woodland to a natural and useable space. It quickly became apparent that there were hundreds upon hundreds of old plastic tree guards that littered the ground!

Tree guards
Tree guards

What can you do with hundreds of old plastic tree guards?

They were stumped (excuse the pun) with what to do with these, as although they are plastic, there is no viable recycling solution in place for them due to their condition and lightweight nature of the product.

Here’s where DCW Polymers come in! One day they heard about DCW Polymers successfully recycling tree-guards from a conservation project in Cornwall, into a new bench that the conservation trust had placed back in the woodland. Andrei contacted DCW Polymers who tested their tree guards which are perfect for recycling into benches! Best of all, The Smiling Sheep decided to order 7 benches made from their own material to place back into the woodland to enjoy the beautiful views!

Next they had to collect all of the tree guards, clean off the debris and bag them up before taking them to DCW Polymers in Exeter. Here they were shredded and granulated first, then melted down in a process to create planks of recycled plastics that were finally assembled into 7 smart bench seats.

From Woodland Waste to Sustainable Seating

The benches were delivered to Andrei and Holly a couple of weeks ago, and have been placed in their positions. All of the benches are at clearings that afford stunning views of the surrounding trees and wild flowers.

They are delighted with the end results, and have spent time already using them and enjoying the fruits of their labour.

Andrei said “I am so pleased knowing that a difficult to recycle material had not only been diverted from landfill, but had been reprocessed and made into fabulous new products that will last for years to come – all within 15 minutes from home!”

Happy Customers
Happy Customers

There are still more tree guards to come, that DCW Polymers will make into more sustainable seats!

For more details on The Smiling Sheep, visit their website www.smilingsheep.co.uk

For more information on DCW Polymers range of sustainable recycled plastic furniture, please go to https://dcwpolymers.co.uk/products/.

From Woodland Waste to Sustainable Seating Read More »

Case Study: Woodland Springs Touring Park

 Luxury Camping in Devon

This AA five star rated site is immaculately presented with generous pitches for tents, caravans, and campervans. There are even fully insulated double glazed glamping pods, for those craving a touch of luxurious comfort.

Woodland Springs is central to Dartmoor’s National Park, and close to the English Riviera. With excellent facilities and tranquil surroundings, this award-winning, rural site will definitely enrich your Devon vacation. It offers the perfect Caravan & Camping getaway designed exclusively for adults.

Since taking over in 2000 owners, Peter and Fiona have upgraded the park beautifully. Well-kept grass areas compliment young hedging, shrubs, and wildflowers that back onto existing mature trees; the new planting harmoniously fuses with the gorgeous countryside, encouraging local wildlife to setup habitats. Guests regularly enjoy the early morning chorus spotting nuthatches, greenfinches, woodpeckers and even a red kite!

Woodland Springs is a wonderful choice for dog lovers, with two exercise areas nestled within the park. A fully fenced, well-manicured 1-acre grass field, and an agility course for the more adventurous canine companion. There is a dog shower area, which includes a warm water shower that is free of charge; ideal for washing off dewy grass or muddy paws your dog might pick up during countryside walks. There is also a selection of dog food and treats are available in the on-site shop.

Recycled Plastic Dog Agility Equipment

The dog agility area features DCW Polymers’ recycled plastic dog agility equipment. The hoop, see-saw, and spider climber were exclusively handmade by DCW Polymers. Produced from recycled Polypropylene, these products offer a sustainable alternative to wood. DCW Polymers use a closed loop process to collect and manufacture plastic scrap locally; all of the work takes place in their Polymers facility in Exeter.

Peter couldn’t be happier. He said “We are absolutely delighted with the dog agility equipment DCW Polymers have manufactured for us. The equipment is in use daily on our busy caravan  touring park. It has proved hugely popular with our guests and their dogs. We are particularly impressed with the quality of the equipment – the items are extremely hardwearing, well-built and completely maintenance free.”

Planning an adult only camping holiday in Devon… why not see what Woodland Springs can offer you. You can contact them by calling 01647 231648, emailing [email protected] or, by visiting their website https://woodlandsprings.co.uk and completing their online enquiry form.

DCW Polymers’ sister company DCW has been supplying waste collection services to Woodland Springs Touring Park since January 2020. Recycling is particularly important to the site, who were delighted with their “Zero to Landfill” contract.

DCW’s diligence enables Woodland Springs to achieve a 67% recycling rate from their general waste. That equates to almost four tonnes over the past 12 months alone!

By choosing DCW and DCW Polymers, to date Woodland Springs have so far saved over eleven tonnes of waste from ending up in landfill!

Case Study: Woodland Springs Touring Park Read More »

Recycled Furniture arrives at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

The Cottages at Blackadon Farm are the perfect getaway in South Devon, with beautiful beaches and attractions close by. The multi-award-winning holiday rentals command an impressive outlook over Dartmoor National Park to the rear and sweeping views across the South Hams that are breath-taking to the front.

Recycled Plastic Furniture at Blackadon Farm
Recycled Plastic Furniture at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

Award Winning

The self-catering accommodation has been designed to a first-class standard; luxurious features provide guests the best experience for making memories, as an individual or a group of up to fifty! Established in November 2019, in just a few short years their exceptional service has won them more than 6 tourism awards, where they were up against other businesses within the sector that span across Devon, Cornwall, the Scilly Isles, Dorset, Bristol & Bath, Somerset, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire! Three of those awards being gold, and the remainder all silver, with one congratulating them for being an ‘Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Business’.

Eco-Friendly Business

As part of their commitment to living more sustainably, the owners have invested in solar panels to improve electrical consumption; use water supplied by a natural spring, have a private woodland which sustains an array of natural wildlife.  They even employ miniature donkeys to help cut the grass!

They use 100% recycled British wool blankets, as well as a range of eco-friendly, ethically sourced, furnishings and fittings throughout their cottages. The Cottages at Blackadon Farm offer a high-quality service, and proudly support a variety of local businesses, providing guests with information and special offers for activities and days out within the South Hams, and neighbouring districts.

100% Recycled Plastic Dartmoor Bench at Blackadon Farm
100% Recycled Plastic Dartmoor Bench at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

Anything they can get locally, they do, and although they advertise as self-catering, they can organise snack foods, packed-lunches and cooked meals; depending on your preference, this can be delivered warm or oven ready. This is provided through a partnership with Dartmoor Larder who offer a bespoke catering service, using fresh, seasonal, and home-grown organic produce, exclusively prepared to suit your individual needs, and delivered at a mutually convenient time.

Dartmoor Larder Picnic
Dartmoor Larder Picnic at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

Recycled Furniture at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

Earlier this year they were in the market for updating their existing outdoor seating and picnic areas. So, after coming across our attractive, 100% recycled range, and taking in to account the benefits of using recycled plastic; that includes the fact it will not rot or rust, is weather resistant and completely maintenance free, they were keen to incorporate DCW Polymers’ environmentally conscious, durable outdoor furniture within the grounds.

As part of DCW Polymers’ commitment to lowering carbon emissions, we plant a tree for each piece of furniture we sell; an oak tree for our larger pieces and a willow tree for the smaller items. Therefore, the Cottages at Blackadon Farm have contributed to the planting of 5 oak trees and 9 willows, that’s a total of 14 trees!

What do they think of our Recycled Furniture?

“Our guests are loving DCW Polymers’ recycled plastic furniture. When we tell them it’s made using plastic from around the area, they love it even more. Being sustainable is a core part of our ethos at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm. We demonstrate this to guests by using solar panels, use our own spring water supply, have initiatives that reduce energy use such as LED lighting, implemented measures to improve local nature and biodiversity, source responsibly and support local businesses. Working with DCW Polymers has allowed us to become even greener and now have a great product that can be used all year and will last for years.”

Marcus Bailey, Co-Owner, The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

To order a piece of your very own outdoor recycled furniture, call 01392 535353 or email [email protected] 

The Cottages at Blackadon Farm

The Cottages at Blackadon Farm are a marvellous place to relax in complete luxury. There are 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10-bedroom, dog-friendly cottages – the majority benefiting from en-suite facilities; they are furnished with super-fast Wi-Fi, smart TVs, and coffee machines. To the rear of the cottages is a large, heated barn equipped with comfy seating. There are a choice of games  suitable for either the kids, or simply the young at heart; and there are several great outdoor spaces whether you want to hide away, get together or picnic in.

To book a stay call Ryan or Marcus on 01752 897034, or call or WhatsApp on 07387 779848 / 07765 181799 or Email: [email protected]

Recycled Furniture arrives at The Cottages at Blackadon Farm Read More »

Recycled products case study: Devon Air Ambulance Trust

Since launching the eco-friendly recycled plastic furniture range in 2021, DCW Polymers has helped hundreds of customers make the switch from using timber products to a sustainable, long-lasting alternative

In addition to the stylish benches, chairs and dining sets, DCW Polymers also manufactures decking and fencing from recycled plastic which is collected from businesses across the South West. The fencing caught the eye of the Devon Air Ambulance Trust which was looking to replace its traditional wooden fencing at its North Devon airbase in Umberleigh.

The Devon Air Ambulance Trust is a charity which provides pre-hospital emergency clinical care to the most critically ill and injured across Devon through the provision of two helicopter-based air ambulances and two critical care cars. In 2021, over 1,900 patients were assisted with over 1,300 missions by helicopter and over 500 missions by critical care car.

Partnering with Festers Fencing, DCW Polymers provided 26 x 3m fence posts and 28 x 3m rails for Festers Fencing to erect at the airbase. Festers Fencing also made the gates out of material provided by DCW Polymers. The work was completed in Jan 2022 and the Trust is thrilled with the results.

Jonathan Osmond, Head of Facilities & Risk at Devon Air Ambulance, said: “At Devon Air Ambulance, one of our four Strategic Pillars is focussed on the environment and how we reduce our carbon footprint, particularly as we operate two helicopters. Our Trustee-led Environment, Sustainability & Stewardship Committee, partnered with our staff-led Green Team, work to identify and mitigate other areas for improvement.

“When the traditional wooden fencing needed replacing at our North Devon airbase, we were pleased to find a product manufactured by DCW Polymers made from recycled plastic. As DCW is our main waste service provider, it is entirely possible that the new fencing is partially made from our own plastic waste! Particularly important is that this new product is expected to last many more years than wood and can be recycled again and again. It also looks great!”

Simon Courtney, Director at Festers Fencing, said: “The Trust’s Umberleigh site is high up on an airfield and due to the winds and challenging weather that cuts across this high point, the traditional wooden fencing had suffered from wear and tear. I recommended DCW Polymers’ recycled plastic fencing as a perfect solution. It is completely weatherproof, looks good and will handle the elements well.

“I am a great admirer of this product and am very impressed with the results. Myself and my team have really enjoyed working with this timber alternative, learning how flexible and how versatile the product is. To use something that is 100% recycled is a great solution and great for the environment. We are looking forward to using the fencing, decking and furniture in many other projects.”

DCW Polymers recycled products collection includes a range of benches, chairs, tables, dining sets, fencing, decking and dog agility equipment. Plastic waste collected from businesses across the South West gets taken to Exeter-based DCW Polymers where it is shredded and melted into moulds which forms the posts and planks. These are then used to make weatherproof furniture or other products.

A sustainable alternative to timber, the plastic furniture and products are maintenance free, will not rot, splinter or corrode and will not require painting or treating.

If you are interested in commissioning recycled plastic furniture, fencing, decking or dog agility equipment for your business, please call 01392 535353 or email [email protected].

Click here to find out more about the recycled plastic products range.

Recycled products case study: Devon Air Ambulance Trust Read More »

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