From Plastic Bag to Picnic Table!
Intruplas was established by the GBN in February 2000 to recycle waste plastic from local companies, that could not previously be recycled and thus diverting it from landfill. This demonstrated the environmental benefits in reprocessing the waste material into plastic profiles to make a whole range of new and useful products, or moulded into specific products such as ground-blocks. The project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and through the Landfill Tax Credits scheme.
Plastic which has been blended with or contaminated by other materials has been recycled. As a unique demonstration project, Intruplas provided recycling facilities for some of the 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste produced each year by just 50 local companies, while at the same time, involving people with a range of disabilities in assembling the final products.
The establishment of Intruplas has demonstrated that mixed waste plastic can be reprocessed into value-added products for a number of uses. From the research and development work undertaken by Intruplas, a variety of products have been developed:
- Street and garden furniture such as picnic tables, benches and planters
- Waterways and revetment products, decking, fishing platforms, fenders, etc.
- Ground blocks for footpaths, cycle paths and car parks
- Fencing and building materials
- Specialist pallets and coil carriers
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| Intruplas on the Waterways |
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| Bench made using Intruplas recycled plastics |
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| Picnic bench made using Intruplas recycled plastics |
British Waterways have produced two reports on their use of Intruplas products. The first describes the innovative use of Intruplas recycled plastic during the construction of the Millennium Ribble Link under a Land Fill Tax credit scheme funded by the Lancashire Environment Fund. Recycled plastic was used for:
- revetment using both post and board and hexagonal blocks and found to be very successful in reducing the amount of siltation into the channel and for providing wash protection
- landing stages next to locks and was again found to be very successful both as a non-slip walking surface, and for the upright posts resistance to boat impact.
- grooved, non-slip decking
- fenders which were installed on all structures on the link, and proved ideal because of their strength and durability as well as its flexibility allowing it to absorb significant impact from boats.
- steps and handrails
- path edging
- navigation marker posts for boats navigating in high water levels
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| Revetment on the Millennium Ribble Link |
The report concluded that the recycled plastic was ideal for the applications it was put to.
The second report describes work on the Aire and Calder Navigation canals and was funded by Landfill Tax Credits from WREN. The recycled plastics from Intruplas were used in much the same ways, with the addition of its use in surfacing car parks and providing fencing. The report concluded that “where the material can be used within the constraints of caring for a heritage network, the use of Intruplas recycled plastics can contribute to the proportion of recycled materials used to maintain and improve the waterway by providing attractive, long lasting and serviceable items and features.”
In 2007 Intruplas Ltd was acquired by Lynwood Products Ltd, a leading UK manufacturer of decorating products and high volume plasticwares based in Halifax.
The enlarged business now employs 75 people on it’s 160,000 sq foot site and will enable Lynwood to continue to capitalise on the increasing need to recycle waste materials. The new business unit was formally opened on 5 January 2007 by Linda Riordan MP, who expressed her delight at the success of the Lynwood business and the prospect of more jobs being brought to Halifax.
For more information on Intruplas products, please visit their website
Download a case study of Intruplas Intruplas Case Study new trial version Nov 07.pdf
