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Recycle & Raise returns

Tubs of sweets adorn the shelves at this time of year, ready for us to stock up on our favourite festive treats. Now, we’re asking you to donate the empty plastic tubs – once the treats are gone – to raise vital funds for charity.

We host our Recycle & Raise appeal every year and once again, we are asking you to donate plastic tubs for recycling to raise funds for Dartmoor Zoo and Mind.

Last year, we raised over £4,000 for Dartmoor Zoo and Mind. Since its launch in 2019, Recycle & Raise has raised over £5,200 for charity with DCW Polymers collecting the equivalent of 65,000 tubs!

It’s not just confectionery tubs we’re asking for either. Ice cream, biscuit and cracker tubs, milk bottle tops and takeaway containers will all be collected as part of the Recycle & Raise campaign. The materials with a number five or PP symbol on the container that are donated to Recycle & Raise will be sent to the DCW Polymers’ recycling plant in Exeter, where they will be shredded into granules. The granules will then be used in manufacturing our recycled plastic furniture range, which will raise approximately 8p per tub for Dartmoor Zoo and Mind.

With an estimated 100 million tubs bought in the UK each year*, even if just 1% of the tubs in circulation get recycled, millions of pounds could be raised for charity.

Over 85 South West businesses have signed up to become Recycle & Raise drop-off points already this year, making it even easier for you to donate your tubs! You can find your nearest drop-off location by viewing our interactive map at www.dcw.co.uk/about/recycle-raise.

DCW Polymers Business Support Manager, Emily Almond, said: “We were shocked at the vast stacks of plastic tubs in the supermarkets at this time of year, and as a plastic recycling specialist we felt compelled to do what we can to keep the plastic out of landfill while raising vital funds for charity. We’ve received incredible support from local organisations and people collecting tubs in their offices.

“We are so proud to have raised over £5,000 in two years and hope that with the support of the public in donating their plastic tubs, we can raise even more this year. By manufacturing the plastic granules into our recycled plastic furniture, we can donate ten times the amount per tub than if we just sold the granules to the manufacturing industry, so we can raise even more for our charities! Please spread the word and save us your clean, empty tubs and tops and help us Recycle plastic and Raise money for charity.”

Donations need to be taken to drop-off locations by Monday 28th February 2022. If your business, school or organisation would like to become a drop-off point, please email [email protected].

*Calculated by Tub2Pub/Nielsen

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DCW Polymers embraces circular economy with the launch of recycled plastic furniture range

We are delighted to announce the launch of our outdoor furniture range made entirely from waste plastic collected from businesses across the region.

DCW Polymers has invested over £25,000 in a new plastic reprocessing line to become the only company in the South West to process waste plastics it collects into recycled furniture. The new equipment, based at the specialist plastic reprocessing plant in Exeter melts the shredded waste plastic and moulds it into posts and planks which are then used to make weatherproof furniture and garden products such as picnic benches, tables, chairs, fence posts and decking.

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 creosoting. The innovative furniture and products are made using 100% plastic waste collected from South West businesses such as buckets, tubs, crates, DVD cases, bottle tops, and even kayaks and old wheelie bins.

DCW Polymers is the only specialist plastics recycling and reprocessing plant south of Bridgwater, recycling commercial waste plastic from businesses across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. This new piece of kit now sits alongside the £280,000 state-of-the-art shredding line which DCW Polymers purchased in 2020. This converts bulky waste plastics into plastic granules which get sold back into the manufacturing industry. With 100% recycled furniture now part of its offering, DCW Polymers is leading the way to a more circular economy in the South West.

The recycled furniture and garden products are available for both businesses and individuals to purchase directly from DCW Polymers. The range includes four different styles: the Torbay, a low contemporary bench; the Plymouth, a traditional style picnic table; the Teign, a bench and dining table set; the Exeter, a large deluxe bench and table; along with fence posts and decking.

Simon Almond, DCW Polymers Managing Director, hopes the new garden range will actively reduce the burden that plastic waste has on the environment.

Simon commented: “We truly believe that achieving a circular economy is the way forward when it comes to tackling plastic waste in the South West. We continually strive to find ways in which we can feed waste plastic granules back into the manufacturing industry, reducing the need for virgin plastic products to be made. After months of trials and ironing out the kinks, we’re delighted to launch the DCW Polymers’ 100% recycled garden range.

“Not only does this process save valuable energy and keeps plastic waste away from our ecosystem, it creates sustainable, long-lasting furniture and products which unlike its wood alternative, will not rot, splinter, or corrode. This will reduce the need for businesses that provide outdoor seating for customers or employees to keep replacing their outdoor furniture or decking areas.”

DCW Polymers will launch the recycled garden range at Toby’s Garden Festival at Powderham Castle on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th June 2021.

Gardening expert, TV presenter and author, Toby Buckland said: “The innovative work of DCW Polymers to recycle waste plastic is fantastic and just what the South West needs. Sustainable living is a growing priority and their pioneering effort to turn waste destined for landfill into useful and beautiful decking and furniture is brilliant. Hats off to Simon and the DCW Polymers team!”

For more information about our recycled furniture range, please click here.

DCW Polymers embraces circular economy with the launch of recycled plastic furniture range Read More »

Recycle & Raise campaign for 2020 is launched!

DCW Polymers launches our Recycle & Raise campaign for 2020!

Last years’ Recycle & Raise campaign was hugely successful, we recycled over 15,000 tubs and reached over 250,000 people online! Having raised over £1,200 for Dartmoor Zoo last year, we have high hopes that this year will be even bigger and better!

While it has been a difficult decision as there are so many worthy charities that need support, our chosen charities for this year are Dartmoor Zoological Park and Mind – a mental health charity.

This year we can Recycle & Raise with even more materials, so please start washing and saving your containers for us!

What can we Recycle this year?

  • Confectionery tubs
  • Ice cream tubs
  • Cracker tubs
  • Milk bottle tops
  • Takeaway containers

Look for the number 5 or PP symbol on the container!

All materials donated to Recycle & Raise will be sent to our plastic reprocessing centre in Exeter, where we will shred the plastics and sell on to manufacturers in the UK, to use in place of virgin polymers. All profits raised will be donated to our two chosen charities, Dartmoor Zoo and Mind.

Shredded plastic containers
This is what the containers look like when they have been through the shredder!
Example of confectionery tubs that we can we recycle for the Recycle & Raise campaign
Example of confectionery tubs that we can we recycle for the Recycle & Raise campaign

Recycle & Raise Drop Off Locations

We are looking for more partners for this years’ Recycle & Raise campaign to collect and store containers on our behalf. If you are willing to support us and collect on our behalf, please contact Emily Almond by emailing [email protected] to receive the marketing pack and be included on our list!

You can find your local drop-off point on our interactive map below! This will be updated as more collection partners join us.

Recycle & Raise 2020 Charities

Dartmoor Zoological Park

Dartmoor Zoological Park is a unique zoo set in 33 acres of beautiful parkland on the outskirts of Plymouth. The Zoo’s CEO Benjamin Mee wrote a book about buying the zoo called We Bought A Zoo, which was later became the subject of a major Hollywood film starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson! The Zoo registered as a charity in 2014 which has strengthened it’s future and opened up new and exciting opportunities. DCW Polymers has worked closely with Dartmoor Zoo since our MD became a trustee of the charity, and we partnered with them for our 2019 Recycle & Raise campaign! With the Covid-19 restrictions affecting visitor numbers this year, Dartmoor Zoo need our help!

Mind

Mind is a mental health charity who provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. Covid-19 restrictions have affected everyone in different ways this year,  it’s still very uncertain times which is why it is so important to shine the light on mental health and provide support to those who may be struggling.

Recycle & Raise campaign for 2020 is launched! Read More »

Recycle & Raise

October 2019 saw DCW Polymers launch an exciting recycling scheme that aimed to raise consumer awareness regarding the ease of recycling confectionery tubs, thus preventing volumes of waste plastics from ending up in landfill after the Christmas period. We then donated all the profits from the onward sale of that material to Dartmoor Zoo – a charity that DCW Polymers have proudly sponsored for several years.

We provided drop off facilities at all of our DCW Polymers sites and enlisted the help of over 85 local businesses who volunteered to store the tubs for us; including LED Leisure Centres, Tesco, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital along with many schools and other businesses across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset! We are extremely grateful for the incredible support we received from the general public and the supporting partners for making it such a roaring success.

With great interest, the story was covered by the Devon Live, and Kingsbridge & Salcombe Gazette had a segment aired on BBC Spotlight, as well as a broadcast on Radio Exe – Exeter’s most popular local radio station.

At the final count, the number of tubs we collected was 12,554 which equated to 1,745kg of plastic material, which we were thankfully able to turn into hundreds of pounds to help towards the upkeep of Dartmoor Zoo.

A massive thank you to the thousands of people who contributed towards this endeavour, we hope you will join us later in the year when we plan to organise this event again and if possible, to raise even more money for charity.

So keep your eyes peeled for updates and save those tubs if they are marked with a PP or HDPE triangle!

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Specialist Plastics Recycling firm invests to help the SW fight war on plastics

As the fight against plastic pollution gains more momentum, a South West business has invested £280,000 to bring a state-of-the-art plastic processing machine to the region and help Devon and Cornwall businesses recycle more.

DCW Polymers has installed the next generation plastic recycling machine at its plastics recycling and reprocessing plant in Wrangaton.

The new machinery is capable of processing in excess of 100 tonnes of plastic a week. Prior to the arrival of the new shredding and granulating technology, plastics in the South West, especially bulky plastics, from both commercial and domestic sources had often ended up in landfill as it wasn’t economically viable to separate and transport it to processing sites outside the region mainly due to the transport costs.

DCW Polymers is the only specialist plastics recycling and reprocessing plant south of Bridgwater. This new plastic processing technology can recycle specialist plastics as well as common industrial packaging, turning waste plastics back into plastic granules, which go back into the manufacturing process and reduce the need for virgin plastic products to be manufactured.

DCW Polymers can collect items from both businesses and wider communities providing a processing service for bulky plastics such as plastic bins, playground equipment, garden furniture, plastic pallet crates and even larger items such as kayaks and fuel tanks.

With a fleet of 53 modern vehicles, DCW Polymers offers an efficient collection service for all types of plastics across the South West.

DCW Polymers’ Managing Director, Simon Almond, said: “We’re all aware there’s a critical plastic pollution problem and will likely have heard the harrowing statistic that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Our new plastic processing technology in Wrangaton brings the capability to the region to advance the fight and help stem the plastic problem by recycling more.

“At DCW Polymers our mission is to recycle as much waste as possible, encouraging South West businesses to adopt a sustainable approach to waste management and supporting DCW Polymers’ quest to develop a truly circular economy.  This latest technology can actively lower the amounts of recyclable material ending up in landfill and contribute towards a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.  With this new machine we’re able to offer South West businesses and communities even more choice when it comes to what they can recycle.”

For more information about DCW Polymers’ services, visit www.dcwpolymers.co.uk or call 01392 535 353.

Specialist Plastics Recycling firm invests to help the SW fight war on plastics Read More »

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