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Turning the tide on marine plastic waste

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Atlantic Curve Ocean Bench

Leading South West plastics recycling and reprocessing plant, DCW Polymers has signed an exclusive agreement with the Ocean Recovery Project to give a new lease of life to plastic waste found along the South West’s coastline.

Marine plastic waste collected through beach cleans run by Keep Britain Tidy’s Ocean Recovery Project will now be used in the making of DCW Polymers’ new recycled furniture product, the Atlantic Ocean Bench.

DCW Polymers a specialist plastic reprocessing company in Exeter, launched its recycled plastic furniture range in 2021. Every product is made from 100% plastic waste collected from businesses across the region and now the recycling experts have refined the process to incorporate marine plastics in the manufacturing process.

This new partnership will ensure marine plastic waste is removed from the region’s coastline and contributes to DCW Polymers’ special ocean furniture range with the Atlantic Ocean Bench marking its debut.

Mimicking the waves and movement of the ocean, the curved Atlantic Ocean Bench is made from 100% recycled plastic with at least 20% of the material collected from the ocean. The limited-edition bench incorporates blue and grey tones and comfortably sits six adults. DCW Polymers’ latest recycled product is handmade to order with 10% of all sales being donated to the Ocean Recovery Project to help fund the environmental charity’s valuable work in promoting beach cleans and running educational campaigns.

Jason Goozee, Head of DCW Polymers, commented: “We all know that plastic waste in our ecosystem is a cause for concern, but the problem has now reached an alarming scale. Scientists have estimated that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year1, causing significant harm to not just marine wildlife, but humans too. Over time, plastic breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics. These are ingested by sea creatures, becoming part of the food chain, and have been found in drinking water, salt, beer and the soil in which we grow our food2.

“It’s thought there are now more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans3. It will take a mammoth effort to solve the problem, but we can all play our part. That is why we have teamed up with the Ocean Recovery Project to help clean up the South West’s coastline, putting marine plastic waste to good use.

“It’s thanks to our continued investment at DCW Polymers that we are now able to do this. For the past 18 months, we have been manufacturing a range of sustainable furniture products from plastic waste collected from businesses across the South West, but marine plastics can be a little trickier to work with.

“After extensive trials and upgrading our machinery, we have refined the process and can now incorporate these tricky-to-recycle plastics into our manufacturing process. It’s a big achievement in the fight against marine plastic waste. The Atlantic Ocean Bench is the first product that we have made using marine plastic, but we hope to expand the range in the coming months.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Neil Hembrow commented: “The new ocean bench range gives us an opportunity to collect our beach plastics and utilise them locally in the South West. From the far west of Cornwall to Dorset, we can support volunteers by collecting plastics from beach cleans to create a long-lasting, resilient product to be enjoyed for many years.”

The manufacture of DCW Polymers’ recycled furniture has been recognised as outstanding at the recent Made in the South West awards, where the firm received the coveted Manufacturer of the Year Award 2022.

DCW Polymers is the only specialist plastics recycling, reprocessing and manufacturing plant of its type in the South West. The plastic recycling firm 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 pallets, crates and even larger items such as kayaks and pontoon floats.

The Atlantic Ocean Bench is available to order now at £425 plus VAT. Call 01392 535353 to place your order.

For more information about DCW Polymers’ recycling services, call 01392 535353 or email [email protected]

References:

  1. org, www.earth.org/plastic-pollution-in-the-ocean-facts
  2. UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/
  3. National Geographic, nationalgeographic.co.uk/10-shocking-facts-about-plastic

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Recycled plastic sustainable Atlantic bench in partnership with Ocean Recovery Project

DCW Polymers partners with Rhino Play to create sustainable play equipment made from recycled plastic

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Recycled plastic furniture. Tick. Fence posts. Tick. Decking. Tick. Dog agility equipment. Tick. Since the launch of our recycled plastic furniture range in 2021, we’ve created a variety of products in a bid to create a more circular economy in the South West. Now, we’ve partnered with commercial outdoor play specialists Rhino Play to create children’s play equipment made from recycled plastic.

At DCW Polymers we manufacture plastic planks from the waste plastic we collect from South West businesses. We launched our range with outdoor garden furniture and have since developed the manufacturing process to create even more products. We thought it was about time we ventured into play equipment!

Partnering with Rhino Play

Founded in 2013, Newton Abbot based Rhino Play creates commercial play equipment for a variety of businesses including schools, local councils and holiday parks. Having delivered play equipment to thousands of customers to date, Rhino Play was looking for a more sustainable, longer-lasting alternative to timber.

Enter DCW Polymers. Our team of plastic recycling experts can mould plastic waste into planks. This recycled material can then be used by Rhino Play to create bespoke play equipment for a variety of outdoor spaces. This allows Rhino Play to become more environmentally responsible when choosing its materials.

The partnership has only just begun but Rhino Play has already received three orders for play equipment made from DCW Polymers’ recycled plastic material.

Stuart Hunt, Sales and Design Manager at Rhino Play, commented: “We are delighted to be working with DCW Polymers on our new recycled plastic range. It’s great to know that we are giving new life to plastic waste by creating very durable, long-lasting products which can be recycled again in the future. We can now offer our clients alternatives to timber that weren’t originally available. This recycled product does not rot and is extremely strong but innovative in its design.”

Rhino Play works closely with every customer to create the perfect sustainable design which will fit within their commercial outdoor space. The team of play specialists can create bespoke set-ups using hundreds of designs. From Adventure Climbers to Pirate Ships, Playhouses to Sand Pits, there’s something for everyone.

Enhance your sustainability credentials

Purchasers of the new play equipment made from recycled plastic will benefit from a 25-year guarantee. The equipment will not rot, splinter or corrode and will not require painting or treating. Little feet can stomp all over the play equipment without doing any damage.

It can also enhance a business’ sustainability credentials. DCW Polymers is a Zero to Landfill company so by purchasing recycled plastic play equipment, customers can purchase with the confidence that they are contributing to a truly circular economy, keeping waste away from landfill.

Simon Almond, Managing Director at DCW Polymers, commented: “Our recycled plastic furniture range knows no limits! We’re always trying to push the boundaries to unlock the potential plastic waste has to create the best recycled products in the UK. We kick-started this initiative with plastic furniture but it has quickly grown. We are now pleased to partner with Rhino Play to bring the South West sustainable play equipment.”

Simon continued: “As a Zero to Landfill business, we like to support other like-minded businesses who have a thirst for becoming more sustainable. This is why we have chosen to partner with local business Rhino Play. We’re excited to bring more sustainable products to companies across the South West.”

To cope with the increasing demand for recycled plastic products, DCW Polymers has recently invested £290,000 in new machinery and facilities, increasing production of the range by 400%.

Are you keen to join hundreds of other businesses across the South West and invest in recycled plastic products? Does your old and tired play equipment need replacing? Click here for more information or contact our team on 01392 535353.

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From Beach to Bench: DCW Polymers transforms beach clean litter into recycled plastic bench for Kenn C of E Primary School

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Year five and six pupils from Kenn C of E Primary School collected over several bags of litter during a beach clean which will now be transformed into a recycled plastic bench for their playground.

DCW Polymers partnered with Keep Britain Tidy’s Ocean Recovery Project, supported by South West Water, to organise the beach clean in Exmouth. The clean was set-up to give local school children a valuable lesson in recycling and the dangers plastic litter can have on the coastal landscape and its wildlife.

After a short talk on safety and ocean plastic by Ocean Recovery Project Manager Neil Hembrow, the children grabbed their beach cleaning kits and set off to collect as much litter as possible from Exmouth’s famous golden sands.

By lunchtime, the young environmentalists had collected several bags of litter from the popular East Devon beach which welcomes thousands of visitors every year. Helping the pupils understand the value of a circular loop when it comes to waste, DCW Polymers has taken the collection to its specialist plastics reprocessing plant in Exeter.

Over 20kgs of marine plastic waste, which includes the children’s collection, will go into the making of a DCW Polymers’ recycled bench alongside other recycled plastic waste. The material will be shredded into granules and melted and moulded into posts and planks to create the Torbay bench style. This backless contemporary bench will be donated by the Ocean Recovery Project and DCW Polymers to Kenn C of E Primary School as a thank you for the pupils’ hard work in cleaning up their local coastline.

Neil Hembrow, Ocean Recovery Project Manager, commented: “It was a pleasure to partner with DCW Polymers to invite the children of Kenn C of E Primary School on a beach clean. We started our recycling adventures with DCW Polymers over seven years ago and it’s fantastic to be involved in a new innovative project that gives back to the community.

“Exmouth is one of the most popular beaches in our region thanks to miles of golden sand and its glistening waters, perfect for swimming and a whole host of watersports. It’s wonderful that the children were so enthusiastic about helping us clean up the beach and learn about the circular economy.

“I was very impressed with their positive attitude and enthusiasm for the task ahead. It’s this generation that can have a huge positive impact on our planet. We hope the children enjoy their new recycled plastic bench!”

DCW Polymers has a historic link with Kenn C of E Primary School as the Managing Director’s daughters both attended the primary school. DCW Polymers hope to partner with even more schools in the future to clean up the South West’s coastline.

Jason Goozee, Head of DCW Polymers, commented: “As a Zero to Landfill recycling company which strives to encourage others to protect the environment in which they live and operate in, it’s important to us to participate in community projects like this one. Educating and inspiring the next generation is the key to ensuring our environment doesn’t suffer any more damage in the years to come.

“We were keen to use the plastic waste the children collected in the making of one of our Torbay benches to show the pupils how waste can be given a new lease of life. The potential waste has is incredible and that’s what we aim to prove, diverting as much waste away from landfill as we possibly can and turning it into new products.”

DCW Polymers, leading South West plastics recycling and reprocessing plant, partnered with Keep Britain Tidy’s Ocean Recovery Project to run this beach clean. Launched  by Keep Britain Tidy, the Ocean Recovery Project was launched to help volunteer groups to recycle beach litter after it completed 1,200 beach cleans of its own. To date, the Project has recycled over 60 tonnes of material from the South West.

For more information on the Ocean Recovery Project, visit www.keepbritaintidy.org and for more information on DCW Polymers, including its recycled furniture range, visit www.dcwpolymers.co.uk or call 01392 535353.

From Beach to Bench: DCW Polymers transforms beach clean litter into recycled plastic bench for Kenn C of E Primary School Read More »

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

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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.

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