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Turning the tide on marine plastic waste

News / By DCW Polymers / 10/02/2023

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:

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

Turning the tide on marine plastic waste Read More »

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

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.