British Recycled Products - supplying landscaping and construction products

British Recycled Products update

2012-01-16T04:25:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products ceased trading last month.

If you are still looking for recycled plastic products to use in either construction or landscaping there are a wide range of companies such as Eco School Products, Low Carbon Products, the i-Plas Group and many others.

Whether you are looking for recycled plastic fencing, fishing platforms, recycled plastic bollards, recycled plastic ground protection, or straightforward recycled plastic profile, there are a number of options if you put "recycled plastic" into Google.

Normal Service Resumed

2011-11-18T02:40:00.000-08:00

Our Landline and fax are back up and running following an office move, so contact us on 01422 844716 or fax 01422 847355.

Intrusion v Extrusion Moulding

2011-11-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

There are two methods of producing recycled plastic lumber; by pushing molten plastic out of moulds (extrusion) or by allowing it to form within the mould (intrusion).

BRPs range of recycled plastic lumber is manufactured using the intrusion method. This produces much stronger profiles that will not warp, and are more suitable for construction purposes.

Therefore, comparing extruded and intruded recycled plastic lumber is like comparing apples and oranges, with extruded profiles far more flexible, and unsuitable for use as load bearers etc.

The major benefit of using extrusion moulding is that profiles can be manufactured to any length, whereas the length of intruded profiles is defined by the mould.

The Gripboard, a new addition to the BRP range (and the only extruded profile we offer), can provide this benefit without suffering the loss of strength associated with extruding. This is because the Gripboard is glass fibre reinforced, adding a great deal of strength to the profile and making it ideal for the construction of boardwalks, decks and bridges. The Gripboard can be produced in lengths of up to five metres, and features integrated anti-slip treads.

BRP can therefore offer the best of both moulding techniques, and offer technical guidance and installation advice to ensure the full potential of recycled plastic lumber is realised on every project.

Innovative outdoor staircase

2011-10-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

BRP recently installed a set of access steps using a combination of recycled plastic lumber and the new Gripboard decking profiles.

The support posts and handrails are made using recycled plastic lumber, and the steps constructed using the 225mm x 45mm Gripboard profile, cut to size.

The Gripboard profiles feature an integrated anti-slip surface, formed during the extrusion moulding process, ensuring that the stairs remain safe even when wet under foot. The finished structure boasts the standard benefits of using recycled plastic in place of wood i.e. zero maintenance, immune to rot, moss and algae growth, impact resistance etc, and has a lifespan many times that of a wooden structure.

British Recycled Products provided a full design and installation service on this project. Please contact us for guidance on the use of recycled plastic. or a bespoke quotation.

The Gripboard was used for the steps because of its anti-slip properties, but has a much greater potential for use in the construction industry, and is being integrated into designs for large scale boardwalks and bridges.

Designed to replace steel reinforced profiles, the Gripboard is glass fibre reinforced meaning that while the boards are lightweight, they are also incredibly strong. Using the boards allows for greater spans, therefore reducing material and installation costs.

Hebden 40 used in a traffic island

2011-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Hebden 40 is not only ideal for car parks - it can be used for islands within car parks, as illustrated by this recent installation at a service station.

Space was left during installation to accommodate the tree, with the pavers surrounding it protecting the tree in an area of heavy foot traffic while allowing rainwater to filter through to the roots. This installation also shows that the pavers can be cut to fit curves without losing structural integrity, because of their 'honeycomb' design.

Creating steps from recycled plastic lumber

2011-09-06T04:11:00.000-07:00

Conservation volunteer group BTCV used British Recycled Products recycled plastic lumber to replace a set of eroded steps on the Flamborough coastal path.

Why recycled plastic?

The longevity of any new installation was the most important factor to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the organisation responsible for the management of this area. Firstly the need to periodically replace weathered steps burdens the council with continual material and labour costs. The steps experience heavy foot traffic, and take a battering from the costal winds and rain, and have needed replacing on a number of occasions. Secondly the site is a conversation area, where continual disturbance of the environment is undesirable.

BTCV had used British Recycled Products recycled plastic lumber on a number of projects, and were aware of the durability of the product. Recycled plastic lumber is impact resistant, will not rot split or splinter and is immune to moss and algae growth and impact damage. It can be used as a straight replacement for wood, offering a significantly increased lifespan and therefore the longevity required by the client.

British Recycled Products supplied BTCV with various recycled plastic lumber profiles from which BTCV pre-fabricated 90 separate frames in their workshop. The recycled plastic can be cut, screwed and bolted in the same way as wood, with the added benefit that the material does not splinter during cutting making it easy to produce identical units. The steps were designed so that each step frame would slot into the one below it, making an easy to install kit with added strength and stability.

The frames were delivered to site and the excavation process began, removing the old wooden steps and replacing them with the recycled plastic. This involved a lot of spade work, removing the soil, carefully placing the frame, backfilling it with the soil and slotting the next frame into place.

The project took over a month, with 72 steps installed in the first phase and another 18 added later. The work was conducted by a core group of 6 BTCV volunteers, although numbers periodically swelled to up to 15. Finally, a section of decking made from BRPs recycled plastic lumber and decking boards was added to the top of the hill, joining the steps.

Amount of plastic diverted from landfill on this project – 1852 Kg
Milk Bottle Count - 102889

Eastwood Ecosheet as a table top

2011-08-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Eastwood Ecosheeting has been used as a table top as part of a refurbishment of a courtyard area at The Royal Veterinary College in Camden, undertaken by Architecture PLB

The 1220mm x 18mm x 2440mm (standard 8' x 4') sheets had circles cut, with the remainder either used for samples (contact us if you would like one!) or recycled again

It illustrates that the sheeting can be used for decorative purposes, and not just as a straight replacement for plywood in hoardings etc. The product has an obviously recycled look (unlike our recycled plastic lumber which could be mistaken for treated wood) which we are finding goes down well with customers looking to emphasise the environmental credentials of a new project.

Match funding for Angling Clubs from the Environment Agency to buy recycled plastic fishing pegs

2011-08-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Sally Gallop from the Environment Agency talks to Jason Elliott in the video below about match funding for Angling Clubs for recycled plastic fishing pegs.

The example shown is at Bude Canal Angling Association.

The funding itself came from rod licence fees, which have to be directly re-invested back into fishing.

Although every region in the country has its own Environment Agency team, Sally recommends that Angling Clubs or Associations should contact their local fisheries representative and see if they can help them.

Recycled Plastic Decking - Case Study

2011-08-03T02:37:00.000-07:00

British Recycled Products forged a link with Widemarsh Enterprises, based in Herefordshire, a social enterprise focused on providing opportunities to adults with learning difficulties. Keen to work with BRPs range of recycled plastic lumber, the team at Widemarsh created some fantastic one-off pieces including a bird table and an Adirondack chair (still available upon request, please contact us for prices.

Widemarsh also created a patio area using our recycled plastic lumber and decking boards. The installation was at an Early Years Centre operated by Herefordshire Council.

Using recycled plastic offered several key advantages over wooden decking for the centre. Firstly the decking is maintenance free – the decking boards will not rot or degrade, and do not need the periodic treatment associated with wooden decking.

Recycled plastic is also resistant to moss and algae growth which not only looks unsightly but can also make surfaces slippery under foot, especially in wet conditions. Another reason recycled plastic decking offers greater slip resistance than wood is the fact that the surface texture of the material is rougher than wood, providing improved grip. This improved slip performance was important to the centre as the safety of the children is paramount.

The decking boards were fixed to standard recycled plastic profiles used as bearers at 600mm centres. 5mm gaps were left between decking boards to allow for water run-off. Decorative extras were added by the Widemarsh team, who cut, plained and sanded the recycled plastic profiles. The balustrades were made from edging boards with 100 x 100 posts used to support the roof section. The great strength of the profiles, a result of the recycled plastic mix and the intrusion moulding process, makes it fit for this purpose.

The finished patio provides a safe, attractive, maintenance free new area for the Centre, and showcases how recycled plastic lumber is not simply utilitarian but can be worked to produce decorative effects.

Amount of plastic diverted from landfill on this project – 1415 KG
Milk Bottle Count - 78611

Linked In discussion group for recycled plastic use

2011-07-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

We now have a LinkedIn group for anyone wanting to discuss good ideas and best practice for using recycled plastic in construction and landscaping.

Your contributions are very welcome!

Green Fingered Kids

2011-07-05T01:46:00.000-07:00

We recently donated some miniature planters made from recycled plastic lumber to the pupils at Hebden Royd Primary School to help get the kids gardening, and are delighted to see how they were used - Yvonne from Hebden Royd sent us some pictures, and let us know the result of the pupils efforts.

‘During the recent Spring Bank Holiday our school Gardening Club entered a ‘Budding Gardeners’ competition at Harlow Carr Gardens, Harrogate. The theme of the Garden was ‘Recycle where you Can’. They used empty tin cans for planting and tubs made from recycled plastic.

The children were thrilled to hear that they had won the ‘Best in Show’ award, and the ‘Green Award’. We also came 3rd overall.’

BRP offer a range of recycled products for the garden, from bespoke planters and composting bins, to edging boards for raised beds. If there is something for the garden you would like to source in recycled plastic please contact us

The first ever recycled plastic bridge

2011-06-30T02:19:00.000-07:00

When I was in New Jersey in April I travelled down to Wharton Forest Park to see the world's first ever bridge made entirely from recyled plastic.

Designed by Professor Tom Nosker of Rutgers University and built by him in 2003, together with a handful of relatively unskilled volunteers in around a week, the bridge has enabled the park rangers to access areas of the forest that were previously hard to reach because of the very poor state of the previous wooden bridge.

Although the bridge was designed to comfortably take the weight of the Rangers SUVs, there was a forest fire not long after construction so it ended up being used by fully laden fire trucks with no adverse effects.

The Eco-Schools Show 2011

2011-06-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

The Eco Schools Show 2011 saw British Recycled Products showcase our range of recycled plastic playground equipment. It was the perfect opportunity to hear directly from pupils and teachers alike what they want from a new playground, and certainly provided plenty of new ideas and projects to work on. We also provided some of our recycled plastic picnic tables to create an outside picnic area.

The event, organised by Keep Britain Tidy and staged at the Bolton Arena, featured a range of workshops and activity zones, and gave the chance for the school children in attendance to get up on stage and perform songs about the environment and recycling written in class. It also featured performances by 2010 X-Factor finalist John Adeleye and singer/songwriter Luc Floreani, along with a brilliant group of drummers.

The school was a huge success and a great experience for both exhibitors and attendees. We were delighted with the level of interest in our playground equipment, and look forward to returning next year. We would like to thank all the organisers (and Sue Fairhurst in particular) for all their efforts and ensuring the day went incredibly well.

Moving with the ages - new steps at Pontefract Castle

2011-06-29T03:36:00.001-07:00

The historic location of Pontefract Castle is not somewhere you would necessarily expect to find cutting edge construction techniques. First built in 1070 AD, after the Norman Conquest of England, the old place has seen the passage of time, and had many owners. The current custodians Wakefield CMBC in their wisdom have moved with the tide of progress, and during renovation of the steps leading up to the castle, have used our Recycled Plastic Lumber.

The new installation has been designed to fit in perfectly with the atmospheric surroundings, despite being incredibly resilient and totally maintenance free. The new steps will provide both safe and attractive access to the Castle for many years to come.

The project was designed in conjunction with our Technical Department, who worked with the architects to create working designs, and in specification and supply of all materials. They then worked with the installation company in an advisory role throughout the entire construction processs.

Click here to dowload a case study on the project

BTCV Pond Dipping Platform

2011-06-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

Humber and East Yorks BTCV - pushing the leading edge of habitat conservation using British Recycled Products Recycled Composite Profiles.

Mike Bulled and his team of conservation volunteers at BTCV have been pioneering new uses for recycled plastic in various habitat access and conservation projects, working alongside British Recycled Products.

Following on from their installation of a flight of steps made from recycled plastic lumber in the, at times, harsh environment of Flamborough Head, they took on the challenge of installing a 3m x 4m pond dipping platform at a remote location at Oakhill Nature Reserve near Goole.

Without access to power tools at the location, Mike requested a kit form platform with all the lumber cut to length and pre-drilled, designed and supplied according to his requirements by the BRP technical team. We worked closely with BTCV to produce a design of the finished platform, pre-drilled in such a way that it could be assembled and installed easily on site. We included construction drawings and an installation key to help Mike and his team get the job done efficiently.

Ground conditions were favourable to posts supporting both the deck and the hand-rail, and as you can see in the photos Mike and his team produced a good result, providing a great pond dipping platform for groups of all ages to explore safely the the diversity of species found in the pond habitat.

For more information on British Recycled Products bespoke fishing pegs, dipping platforms and landing stages, visit our website, or call 01422 844716 to speak to the technical team

Offcut Sale

2011-06-10T04:08:00.000-07:00

To make space in our workshop for an upcoming project we are offering a great price on offcuts, either for collection from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, or for delivery.

We have 97 pieces of black recycled plastic lumber on offer. They measure 100mm x 100mm and are 1520mm in length. These can be bought for £10 per piece (and feel free to make us an offer for the lot!), excluding VAT and delivery. Please contact us for a delivery price

This represents a great saving on our list price - as a comparison a piece of 100mm x 100mm x1600mm costs £20.34

We also have a wide variety of offcuts in various sizes, lengths, colours and forms (including tongue and groove, decking etc) which could be just the thing for a DIY project / replacement for timber. Please contact us with your requirements and we will see if there is something to suit the job.

Phone Lines

2011-06-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

Some customers have experienced difficulties getting through to us on the phone recently. We apologise for the inconvenience, and are working to fix the problem as quickly as possible.

In the meantime please persevere, or contact us via email. To contact our technical services team, call 01422 844131

Desks made from Eastwood recycled plastic sheeting

2011-05-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

We've just had a bit of a quick makeover in our offices and built three desk islands using our Eastwood recycled plastic as surfaces and dividers.

For information about the Eastwood sheeting follow this link.

Barking Park regeneration project

2011-04-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

In October 2010 BRP received plans for four T shaped fishing platforms designed by LDA Design Consulting LLP, who were commissioned by The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham to produce the plans for the regeneration of Barking Park.

Several large construction companies contacted BRP in the tendering process, which was eventually won by VINCI who also asked BRP to quote for installation. We contacted our installation partners ECS Engineering Services, who cut their teeth in Recycled Composite Profiles building an 11m span footbridge in National Trust beauty spot Hardcastle Crags.

The BRP technical team were able to achieve significant budget savings for the client, drawing upon their specialist experience of the physical and mechanical properties of the recycled composite profiles. The design was altered after much liaising between the architect, the quantity surveyor and the installer. The final agreed design was nearly 50% cheaper in both labour and materials than the original concept.

Construction drawings and detailed guidance for the installation team was issued by the BRP technical team. Due to the shingle and flint ground conditions each post is set in 300mm concrete footings. On Monday 18 April work began, and we will provide an update showing the completed installation.

*UPDATE*

The fishing pegs are now completed, and I think you'll agree the result looks fantastic (click to enlarge picture)

The Heptonstall seat with backrest and arms

2011-04-21T02:34:00.000-07:00

BRP are pleased to announce a new addition to the furniture range, the Heptonstall 1.5m seat with backrest and arms.

Manufactured in the UK using 100% recycled plastic, the seat shares the characteristics that make the BRP range the deluxe choice for outdoor furniture. The seat is rot proof, graffiti proof and incredibly solid and durable, all without the need for treatment and with minimal maintenance requirements. It is also stylish and manufactured to the highest specifications.

The seat is available in either black or brown, with the option of ground fixing kits for securing to hard surfaces, or extended legs to allow the seat to be sunk into the ground. It is also possible to order engraved plaques along with the seat.

For more information or for a quote please contact the BRP sales team on 01422 844716 or via email

Pontefract Castle - building steps from recycled plastic sleepers

2011-03-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in partnership with English Heritage recently began a major refurbishment of Pontefract Castle with the replacement of a flight of steps taking visitors up to the Castle Keep.

Architects Lloyd Evans Pritchard contacted British Recycled Products looking for ideas on the best solution in recycled materials. The BRP technical team recommended using recycled plastic railway sleepers with aluminium anti-slip profiles, and designed steps according to the architects plan.

The existing stairs were seriously eroded, rendering them unsafe. The job of replacing the steps is a big one, so the architects needed to ensure they would not need replacing again. The recycled plastic sleepers were chosen due to their durability and lifespan, as the material does not rot or erode over time.

The recycled plastic material offered key advantages in ensuring the steps were safe for use. Recycled plastic has a rougher surface texture than wood, providing improved grip. Unlike wood it is also resistant to moss or algae growth, the presence of which is not only unsightly but also hazardous, making surfaces slippery underfoot. Using recycled plastic eliminated this problem, along with the need for treatment and maintenance.

These anti-slip qualities were significantly boosted with the integration of carborundum anti-slip treads, supplied by Quantick Systems. These additions, set in aluminum profiles and fixed into rebates that were hand routed into the sleepers in the BRP workshop, provide durable anti-slip performance in both the wet and the dry. The anti-slip system also defines the step edges clearly. The visual contrast provided by the aluminium was key to achieving DDA specifications, without the need for garish markings.

The sleepers are made from 100% recycled plastic, made in the UK from UK plastic waste. More than six tonnes of plastic has been diverted from landfill by using recycled plastic sleepers on this project alone, and roughly 12 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions saved (source).

Installation is now underway on site and is part of a programme of works to unlock the potential of Pontefract Castle as a heritage and tourism destination, as well as safeguarding the site for use by future generations. These initial works will prepare the site for a further programme of conservation and development work throughout 2011/12.

Councillor David Dagger, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for culture, sport and libraries said: “The Council has already been working closely with local groups such as the Friends of Pontefract Castle to improve the castle’s appearance and facilities. This work will mark the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for the castle, and will help us to attract more visitors to the town and wider District, boosting the local economy.”

For more information on the use of recycled plastic in an upcoming project, or to speak to the BRP technical team please contact us on 01422 844716, or via email.

Boardwalk construction using steel reinforced beams

2011-02-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

The use of BRPs new range of steel reinforced beams can help achieve significant savings when constructing boardwalks by reducing both labour and material costs.

The boardwalk pictured was installed in a wet, boggy area. This environment was very tricky to work in, and a boardwalk constructed from wood would have suffered from rot fairly quickly in such moist conditions, and would need regular treatment in order to remain safe. Therefore recycled plastic was specified as it will not rot and needs no treatment.

Steel reinforced recycled plastic beams were used as cross members. This added great strength to the structure, meaning spans between posts could be much wider than if normal cross members were used - 4m plus spans were achieved.

The increased span meant that fewer posts needed to be piled into the ground. This saved on materials and also decreased labour costs as less time was needed on site.

Steel reinforced beams were also used to construct the bridge pictured above, the final part of the project. The bridge illustrates the great strength of the material, and what can now be achieved.

The BRP technical team can advise on the used of the new additions to the BRP range (glass-fibre reinforced beams are also now available), and produce 3D designs and material lists tailored to the requirements of the product. Please contact technical services on 01422 845522, or via email for more information.

Technical services with recycled plastic structures

2011-02-01T03:48:00.000-08:00

Since BRP (British Recycled Products) launched 3 years ago, they have grown to the point where they now supply the widest range of recycled products in the UK for both construction and landscaping use. This is now being complemented by a specialist technical support service, giving customers expert guidance while they are learning about the possibilities and potentials of these revolutionary materials.

Whether you are looking for the reassurance of someone at the end of the phone, or a complete project management service: BRP work to help you get the best out of their products. Their highly skilled team can produce 3d CAD drawings and design work, or provide complete project management and main contracting. They will work with you to help you understand the properties of recycled plastic, how it behaves, and how it differs from the traditional concrete, wood, steel and concrete, enabling you get the best out of it now, and in the future.

Using plastics and other materials diverted from landfill, BRP supply a diverse range of products which can be durable enough to use as car-park surfaces at hospitals, and environmentally friendly enough to feature in National Trust Woodland. From the revolutionary Hebden40 porous paver, benches, bollards and recycled paint, to construction materials reinforced with steel and glass fibre, BRP have revolutionised the way architects, council engineers and other specifiers think about recycled materials.

Picnic tables built to last

2011-01-25T02:40:00.000-08:00

BRPs recycled plastic picnic tables are not only incredibly resilient but also look lot smarter than wooden alternatives. Although they may cost more than wood, you certainly get what you pay for.

The problems that commonly effect wooden tables are solved by choosing recycled plastic. Graffiti can be wiped clean as the recycled plastic profiles used to construct the tables do not have a grain that can be stained by paint, and have a protective skin formed during the intrusion moulding process. This is a major consideration for many of our customers when sourcing outdoor furniture for schools, parks and public areas. The tables are also extremely robust and impact resistant, hindering other forms of vandalism.

BRPs range of tables will not rot, split or splinter, and are resistant to algae growth. This ensures that the tables are safe, smart, and have a lifespan many times that of wooden furniture.

The increased initial layout on recycled plastic picnic tables is more than made up for by the long term performance of the product. In a time of financial constraints and budget cutting it is tempting to go for the cheapest rather than the best, but this is a false economy as this incurs maintenance and replacement costs that are not a issue with recycled plastic furniture.

Those taking the long view in this regard (and discounting the obvious environmental benefits of sourcing recycled materials) are rewarded with attractive, zero maintenance furniture that will not need replacing in next years budget. Contact the BRP sales team for more information on the range, or a quotation.

New developments in recycled plastic

2011-01-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

Builders and landscapers are becoming proficient in using recycled plastic lumber in place of timber. As it will not rot and needs no preservatives to maintain performance, more and more clients are specifying recycled plastic not just for its environmental benefits but because it is a better, longer lasting product.

Working with the material does not require major re-tooling, and once the material's physical properties are understood, installers quickly adapt and are able to match production times for timber.

Up until now, a significant difference between recycled plastic profiles and other building materials was in the mechanical properties. The stiffness (tensile modulus) of recycled plastic lumber did not match that of oak beams or rolled steel joists, and so when longer spans are required, as in bridges for example, architects have been unable to specify plastic.

Recent developments in the industry have changed this. BRP have recently started working with a manufacturer that has developed an economical way of utilising steel, glass fibre and timber with plastic to make best use of all these materials' mechanical properties.

We are now able to supply steel reinforced beams that can provide a span of up to 5 metres, a significant improvement on the 1.5m longest span of plastic alone. As well as making bridges possible, this has a significant impact on the way boardwalks are constructed.

Using a 180mm x 80mm x 5 metre beam reinforced with 4 x16mm diameter steel rebar (our product code RCP075, click here to download the pricelist) means that the number of supporting posts that need to be piled into the ground is significantly reduced.

On a long run of boardwalk this will lead to significant savings on labour time, and will more than compensate for the extra material cost, particularly where the ground presents difficulties for piling. The BRP technical team can draw up a design tailored to a specific site, making the best use of the new possibilities offered by the steel reinforced beams

Another new addition to the BRP range are glass fibre reinforced posts. The glass fibre creates a more rigid post able to support the longer steel reinforced beams at a similar price to existing plastic profiles. They are also ideal for fencing above 1 metre high, where stiffer supporting posts are required.

Many of our installers face access challenges making in-situ construction difficult. Off-site construction may be the answer, particularly in the case of pontoons for marinas. With developments in recycled plastic sheeting and its capacity for welding, entirely recycled plastic floating pontoons are now available and can be delivered by road or by boat! Modular bridges are also available. Please contact our technical team for further details

As well as increasing functionality of the material, recycled plastic profiles have been used for aesthetic effect in the form of cladding. Having achieved a satisfactory fire rating, recycled plastic panels have been to used to great effect to enhance the visual aspect of housing developments.

BRP are constantly widening the scope of the solutions available in recycled plastic, and our technical team can provide an increased number of options for a greater range of projects.

From projects that require a bespoke service from concept to installation, to those where a modular solution now exists, we make sure that the most pragmatic innovations in the industry are made available, and the boundaries of the possible are constantly pushed.

Recycled plastic the answer to marked increase in timber decay

2011-01-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

An article in the winter 2010 edition of Landscape News (the official journal of the British Association of Landscape Industries, of which BRP are an affiliate member) has highlighted a worrying acceleration in the decay of timber structures that has been noted across the landscaping industry.

Softwood timber in contact with the ground is rotting well inside the anticipated lifespan of the product. These installations coincided with a change in legislation regarding wood preservatives. Modern day preservatives are based on copper and other biocides. These replace more industrial products such as chromated copper arsenates (CCA) sold up until the early 2000s. Since this transition, anecdotal evidence suggests that some timbers are rotting within 3-4 years.

Best practice from timber suppliers can ameliorate this problem by conditioning the timber in a kiln before preservatives are added, thus ensuring the corret moisture content, but this approach is not widespread and much softwood on the market is now prone to premature rot.

Using BRPs recycled plastic lumber eliminates this problem, saving significant amounts on periodic treatment and replacement. Now widely used to construct decks, platforms and bridges, as well as edging, outdoor furniture and steps, BRP offers a wide range of profiles (click here to download our price list) and an excellent technical and design service.

Recycled plastic contraction and expansion caused by temperature changes

2010-12-02T04:31:00.000-08:00

As temperatures rise, recycled plastic expands, and as it gets colder so it will contract. Any construction will have to allow the material to expand or shrink; especially in the case of large constructions, such as fencing along dozens of metres. Due to the long length expansion and shrinkage will become too large to be intercepted by the flexibility of the construction. In the case of smaller constructions it depends a little on how much the construction can transform and by doing so can intercept expansion/shrinkage by itself. Nevertheless we advise to always take this material behaviour into account.

Mixed recycled plastic profiles will expand to a maximum of 1.5 mm per metre plank at 10°C. In the case of outdoor applications we expect that mounting normally takes place at a temperature between 10 and 20°C. We assume that -20°C is the minimum temperature. In summer, when the sun is shining on the planks, temperature can rise to approximately 50°C, particularly in the case of black. The largest possible temperature difference will then be + or -40°C. Therefore it has to be taken into account that the length of the plank can become 6 mm longer or 6 mm shorter per span metre.

Example expansion/shrinkage
If in figure 1 the centre to centre distance of poles is 1.25 metre and the plank is attached to one of the poles, you should take into account an expansion of 1.25 x 6 = 7.5 mm (ÄL in figure 4.2). Shrinkage could then also be 7.5 mm. Therefore the slit hole has to have a width of 15 mm (centre to centre). When mounting the screw has to be placed in the middle of the slit hole (see top image of figure 4.2) and, although it has to be tightened somewhat, it must not be tightened completely. The plank underneath still has to be able to be shoved. Further there has to be some free expansion space next to the plank. So planks must not be placed directly next to one another. This is size S in figure 1, which is 15 mm in this example; 7.5 mm for expansion of the plank on the left side and 7.5 mm for the plank on the right side.

Figure 1 Example of expansion/shrinkage (top: situation at mounting;
bottom: situation in warm weather)

More information about the BRP range

2010-11-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in Hebden 40, recycled plastic lumber, or any other product, or maybe you want to go straight to the British Recycled Products website, information is available across the web about the various things we do with recycled materials, so click the links to find out more.

Apart from the famous Hebden 40 cellular paving system for carparks and pathways, which is injection moulded, and our recycled paint of course, many of our maintenance-free products are made from recycled plastic lumber, or plastic wood.

Recycled Plastic Boardwalks, also known as green decking, are the future when it comes to installing something that meets the highest engineering standards yet requires no ongoing maintenance. There is also information about boardwalks on our Recycled Plastic Decking site.

British Recycled Paint is an extremely high quality re-engineered emulsion paint made from post-consumer waste directly diverted from landfill.

One of the main uses for recycled plastic is in maintenance free outdoor furniture, whether that is recycled plastic benches or recycled plastic picnic tables.

Recycled Plastic Bollards are now in widespread use, particulary by supermarkets, housing associations and local councils.

A fairly new innovation is our Eastwood recycled plastic sheeting. Commonly known as recycled plastic board, this is a method of encapsulating all sorts of waste material inside a rugged and recyclable 8' x 4' board.

Another common application for the lumber is recycled plastic fencing, in particular, knee rail or birdsmouth fencing.

Technical services from British Recycled Products

2010-11-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products offers unrivaled technical support to those wishing to adopt recycled plastic into their supply chain, drawing on extensive experience working with the material to provide a viable, cost effective solution compliant to all relevant regulations.

Our technical department can provide advice and 3D concept drawings at the start of a project, continual support throughout specification and tendering and detailed installation advice as the project reaches completion. With extensive joinery, building and landscaping knowledge, and experience applied to innovations in the recycled plastics industry, we offer a pragmatic and realistic approach to project management.

The use of recycled plastic in construction and landscaping has increased exponentially in recent years, not just because of carbon targets and environmental commitments but because of the unique benefits the recycled plastic material offers.

The fact that recycled plastic lasts many times longer that wood without the need for treatment or maintenance is of great long term value, saving on both material and labour costs. The material will not rot and is highly resistant to graffiti, ensuring the appearance of the installation endures over time. It is also strong and impact resistant, and can be worked in the same way as wood.

The lumber we supply blends seamlessly into the environment (it is not 'plasticy', and looks very much like timber) and provides a robust alternative to traditional materials. Please contact us on 01422 844716, or via email on info@britishrecycled.com, to discuss your requirements, an upcoming project, or simply get more information on the material and a sample.

The Halifax Bench - street furniture at a great price

2010-09-08T02:09:00.000-07:00

We are living in straightened times, with belt tightening occurring across all organisations whether public or private, as well as in many households.

With George Osbourne asking Government departments to find 40% cost savings, British Recycled Products have introduced the Halifax bench seat as our contribution to those seeking to do more with less.

These new 1.5m length benches are delivered in flatpack form, consisting of steel bench ends, recycled plastic lumber seat and back sections and all the fixings (including a ground fixing kit), and are available at a great price:

Four Halifax benches for £600 including delivery (excluding VAT), equating to £150 each.

Twelve Halifax benches for £1620 including delivery (excluding VAT), equating to £135 each.

The benches are made from recycled plastic and steel, and are therefore tough, durable and zero maintenance. The principal problem with bench seats with wooden slats is that the wood rots and needs replacing. With recycled plastic this is not an issue. The Halifax bench removes the need to periodically treat and replace, offering significantly lowered whole life costs.

The problem of vandalism is also eliminated as the recycled plastic profiles are graffiti proof - without a wood grain for paint to stain, it can be wiped clean. The profiles are also impact resistant and alot stronger than wood.

The Halifax bench from British Recycled Products represents great value, combining simple design with environmentally friendly materials at a great price. It is designed to help organisations navigate choppy economic waters without compromise on either quantity or quality. Contact us for more information

Calculating rainwater run-off

2010-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

In this video I show how to calculate the amount of rainwater that falls on any given area.

This specifically show the amount that returns directly to the water table when using Hebden 40 for ground reinforcement or hardstanding, or, in the case of non-permeable tarmac car parks, gets forced off into the drainage system.

The equation is to multiply the rainfall (or technically, precipitation) in millimetres by the number of square metres giving the result in litres.

Hebden 40 - A very satisfied customer!

2010-09-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

We were delighted to receive the following email about Hebden 40 from Ruth McCooey in Cumbria today and decided to share it, and the photos attached, with you...

"Dear Sirs,

Attached are 5 photo’s, during and after, of the installation of our Hebden 40 paving that we picked up from you in July.

We are delighted with the result, which I hope you can see has done a beautiful job. Colin was very grateful that the installation was really straightforward and quick.

So much better looking than Tarmac, the photo’s flatten out the drive’s slope but we feel completely confident that come the frost there will be no problem getting his van onto the drive, which would not have been the case with most other products.

Thank you for all your help.

We are certainly passing on your details to our friends and neighbours who have all been very impressed with the drive.

Ruth McCooey"

If its good enough for the army...

2010-08-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

The Hebden 40 100% recycled water permeable ground reinforcement system continues to be the product of choice for groundworks professionals, and has been specified by a wide range of architects, contractors and organisations.

This video illustrates how the product can create large gravel car parks suitable for extremely heavy traffic, showcasing a recent installation of Hebden 40 for the Ministry of Defence at the Defence School of Transport in Leconfield.

The rising instances of flooding caused by overflowing drainage systems, and the resulting introduction of the Flood and Water Management Act has brought the need for the widespread adoption of water permeable surfacing into focus. The new legislation encourages the adoption of sustainable drainage in new and re-developments by removing the automatic right to connect to sewers, and requiring planning permission for new areas of impermeable surfacing (amongst a raft of new measures designed to prevent flooding, prompted by the Pitt Review of the floods of 2007).

Unlike surfaces such as tarmac, areas of hard standing created using the Hebden 40 allow water to permeate back into the ground, preventing it from running off into the overburdened sewerage systems and thus mitigating against flooding. It also creates a more attractive finish (with the pavers backfilled with either gravel or seeded soil) and is quicker, easier and cheaper to install.

The Hebden 40 is available at the great price of £9.50 per m2 including delivery for orders of two pallets upwards (112m2). Unlike many other companies we are also interested in getting the domestic customer using permeable paving, offering small quantities direct from eBay in multiples of 4m2, in order to spread knowledge of the concept, and the benefits of permeable paving instead of using tiles, tarmac or asphalt surfaces.

If you would like more information, installation advice, or a sample of the Hebden 40, email us or call us on 01422 844716.

British Recycled Paint

2010-08-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if it was possible to re-use or re-process paint that is either unwanted or old and has been sitting in the garage for a while?

We have launched a recycled paint range which is using exactly that paint.

Waste paint is taken from local authority waste sites, re-processed (adding nothing but PH stabilisers and any consistency regulators which are already in paint), and the pots we sell come out at 90-95% recycled.

The interior and exterior water-based emulsions are available in matt, silk and eggshell finishes at the same price - in white, magnolia and a range of colours - some of which are pictured below. A colour match service is also available.

So instead of buying new paint, why not try our recycled paint which is helping prevent some of the 50 million tonnes of waste paint which go to landfill or incineration each year in the UK? British Recycled Paint is available from us in full pallets or 4 tin boxes from eBay , from Colour Yorkshire in Hebden Bridge, or shipped to you directly for £50/pallet delivery charge.

Open Day at Beehive Mills

2010-08-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Come and check out the whole range of products and ask us your questions. Join us for our Open Day between 9am and 5pm on Friday 17th September at the inauguration of our showroom at Beehive Mills in Hebden Bridge.

Among the things on show there will be our Hebden 40 porous paving for eliminating rainwater run-off from carparks and pathways, various types of recycled plastic fencing that will outlast wood by decades, vandal and weather-proof benches and picnic tables for tough environments, a raised fishing platform/boardwalk, recycled plastic speed ramps, rot-proof signage, the acclaimed British Recycled Paint, a wide range of lumber sections made from mixed waste, recycled rubber flooring, post-consumer-waste bollards and much more....

Refreshments will be served.

The address is Beehive Mills, Hebble End, Hebden Bridge, HX7 6HJ

British Recycled Products on eBay

2010-08-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

We have recently expanded our eBay offering beyond just the Hebden 40 so that it includes more of our range of 100% recycled products, along with British Recycled Paint. This has been done to to provide a simple, 24/7 outlet for the domestic customer to buy our products.

There are some great deals on there, including 4x 2.5 litre pots of recycled paint delivered to your door for £65, and a pack of 69 recycled plastic fence stakes for £450 all in. We provide the same advice and service you expect from us, and will be adding to the range imminently. Click here to see our eBay shop

UK Green Pages now available for free download

2010-07-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Our IPhone app the UK Green Pages is now up on ITunes and available for free download.

It has details of a range of retailers, suppliers, charities and organisations offering ethical and environmentally friendly products and services. At present the app is by no means meant to be comprehensive, and is work in progress with a database that will be added to continually in order to build a useful free resource for the ethical consumer.

In order to do this we need your feedback, recommendations for new additions, or if you are part of an organisation you feel should be included sign up via the UK Green Pages website

Download now via ITunes and take a look!

British Recycled Paint is here!

2010-06-22T01:49:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to say that our first batch of British Recycled Paint has arrived!

With a recycled content of over 90%, predominantly made from top quality brands like Dulux and Crown, as well as a very high solids content and a high "shear" mix for smooth flow, it is sourced from post-consumer waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill.

We anticipate that the main users are likely to be social housing organisations, NHS and other government properties, as well as schools and other education establishments.

To find out more, log on to RecycledPaint.co.uk or give us a call!

School kids save the world one bottle top at a time

2010-06-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

A group of Leeds school children have caught the recycling bug, collecting a huge amount of milk bottle tops from the local community, ensuring they are recycled rather than sent to landfill.

In return for this heroic effort the children at Bramley St Peters Church of England school have been rewarded with a recycled plastic picnic table for the school yard, donated by British Recycled Products.

Helping to educate school children on the importance of recycling is something we are extremely keen to do here at British Recycled Products and our Managing Director, Jason Elliott, speaks at schools from time to time to enthuse the younger generation about reusing rather than throwing away, letting them know about the recycling process and the fantastic recycled products that are the end result.

Hands up everyone who collected some bottle tops!

Following one such talk the children at St Peters decided to organise their own collection of milk bottle tops. An incredible effort was made, with tops collected at home, posters put up calling for milk bottle tops around Bramley and collections started at local businesses such as Starbucks in Headingley. Even relatives across the country were roped into to sending their contributions in the post!

Posters went up across Bramley

Teacher Leslie Dixon is incredibly proud of the effort made by the pupils, and how engaged they became with the issue. "Our topic for this term was the environment, and how to protect it. As part of this we have had talks from Oxfam about fair trade, written to politicians about solar power and visited Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. Following Jasons talk the children wanted to get involved themselves and do something to encourage those around them to start recycling. The results have really been incredible and i'm amazed we ended up with so many! "

"This project has really gotten them excited about recycling, and thinking about our resources in a different way. It has also been a useful educational project in that the results were not immediate, and it showed that hard work is necessary to get a reward"

Some of the tops collected

Milk bottle tops are a resource often not accepted by council recycling schemes and therefore are generally thrown away, despite the tops being made from an extremely strong form of plastic, useful for creating durable new recycled products. The haul collected at St Peters will now be melted down and remolded into the recycled plastic lumber profiles from which our zero maintenance, vandal proof picnic tables are made.

Many, many bin bags of milk bottle tops were exchanged for a picnic table

The table now takes pride of place in the playground, and will be the scene of packed lunches for years to come, a constant reminder to the pupils of Bramley St Peters of what can be done with the plastic if it is recycled rather than thrown away.

Click here for British Recycled Products resources for schools

Replacing wooden seating with recycled plastic

2010-06-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

I recently posted a new page to our main website illustrating some of the many ways our recycled plastic lumber and decking has been used by our customers over the years.

One of the most popular (and effective) uses for the product is to replace rotten wood in seating and benches. The video case study below shows this clearly:

This installation for Greenwich Council in London has provided a long term solution to an ongoing problem; the wooden bench seating has been replaced periodically for years as it rots, gets chipped (and therefore becomes unsafe) or vandalised.

Using our recycled plastic decking has put an end to this continual need to replace, thus lowering long term costs for the council both in terms of materials and manpower. The seating also looks a lot better!

With impending cuts to budgets looming in the UK there has never been a better time to switch to zero-maintenance, sustainable alternatives such as our range of recycled plastic lumber in order to ensure better long-term value for money in public procurement.

Coming soon: recycled polystyrene products

2010-06-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

As mentioned on a previous post British Recycled Products now supply gates made from recycled polystyrene, a material that when recycled and remoulded creates an incredibly strong yet incredibly light finished product.

We will soon be expanding this range to include handrails and skirting boards.

a recycled polystyrene handrail (click to enlarge)

These products can be supplied in any colour, and are impact resistant, chip proof and hard wearing.

One of the major benefits of the rails and boards is that anti bacterial / anti MRSA agents can be added to the mix during the recycling process, making them ideal for places such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes etc.

a recycled polystyrene skirting board (click to enlarge)

We will update you when this product goes on sale, with price details, technical information etc, but until then if these products are of interest to you, or you would to find out more, please contact us

Greenbuild EXPO

2010-05-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

We will be exhibiting at the Greenbuild Expo 26th-27th May at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX), an event for the construction industry (as well as the general public) spotlighting green building products, renewable technologies and sustainable development.

It looks set to be a great event, with a large number of very interesting seminars and workshops taking place covering all aspects of sustainability (click here for details of the conference programme), as well as a wide range of exhibitors.

British Recycled Products can be found at stand B5, with a stripped back exhibition stand without the large pieces of furniture and cellular paving installations that usually characterise our displays. This is because my colleague Rachel and I will be travelling by train to the event, and are therefore travelling light.

We will instead be offering our expert knowledge on sustainable construction products and a chance to discuss any ideas or projects face to face, as well as a range of samples to show off the quality and strength of the recycled plastic material. We will be joined on Thursday by our technical guru Ian Fillingham, who is well worth consulting for design and installation advice.

There will also be several fantastic show offers for attendees, with money off orders placed during the show. Make sure you register to attend (update: online registration is now closed, but it is possible to register on the day) and stop by to say hello.

Hebden 40 in a gravel car park

2010-05-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

Watch this video to take a thorough look at British Recycled Products' Hebden 40 permeable pavers installed in a gravel car park.

The Hebden 40 (made from recycled plastic, of course) keeps the gravel stable and tidy whilst allowing the rainwater to permeate directly back to the water table, helping alleviate flooding during times of intense rainfall.

The bay markers are available in bags of 500.

British Recycled Paint on its way!

2010-05-24T04:41:00.001-07:00

I am delighted to announce that we will shortly be in a position to supply recycled paint to our customers.

This paint has been reclaimed from a small number of household waste sites and is then recycled and remanfactured into top quality, commercial grade emulsion paint with a recycled contect of between 90% and 95%, depending on the colour.

The finished product has a high solids content for greater covering power, together with a high "shear mix" which allows smooth, easy flowing application.

Either Stephen or I will post more information on this blog soon but, for more information including colours, check out our dedicated website at RecycledPaint.co.uk

Great new price on Hebden 40

2010-05-18T07:15:00.000-07:00

Following on from yesterdays blog on our new pricing structure, I thought I would highlight the great new deal on Hebden 40 ground reinforcement: two pallets or more (112m2 upwards) now cost just £9.50 per m2 including delivery!

This significantly lowered price is designed to further boost the use of this water permeable, 100% recycled way to create hardstanding (for car parks, pathways etc). The Hebden 40 is something we sell large quantities of, as awareness of cellular paving and its benefits grow and as new legislation is introduced. This means we can pass on the benefits of economies of scale and more efficient manufacturing processes to the end user. An improved distribution network has also helped lower delivery costs.

As an illustration of the new savings on offer, an order of 112m2 of Hebden 40 would previously have cost £11.48 per m2 not including delivery (which would have added around £100 to the cost), amounting to around £1400. For an order that size under our new pricing structure the cost would be £9.50 per m2 all-in, amounting to £1064.

This represents a saving of 31.6%. There is no better time to switch to our Hebden 40 eco-paver, contact us for any technical information or installation advice, or to get an immediate quote.

New Pricing Structure

2010-05-17T02:38:00.000-07:00

We have simplified our price list from today so that all prices include delivery. To download our new price list click here

This step has been taken in order to make ordering easier, making the all-in costs clear and uniform.

This will apply for 99% of delivery addresses. The only exceptions are:

PA16 & above, All IV, All AB, All PH, All KW, All ZE and all HS.

For deliveries to these postcodes there will be a small additional charge to pay so please contact us for a quote. Rest assured delivery to these addresses will be done at or below cost. Unfortunately these charges must be added to prevent us from running at a loss when delivering to these destinations.

We hope these changes will be beneficial for our customers, and will offer extra value for money and transparency. Please let me know your thoughts!

A trip down memory lane

2010-05-14T05:48:00.001-07:00

Click images to enlarge

Having previously worked for the National Trust for 6 years it was a pleasure to have spent the morning with Drew Marsh the National Trust Warden for Hardcastle Crags. It was really uplifting to see how the National Trusts management of the woodland has helped increase the population of the Red Data book species Formica lugubris (The Northern Hairy Woodant), a subject that I was lucky to appear on Natures Calendar as the bearded ant expert!

The reason for the visit was to see how our British Recycled Countryside Signs were holding up to the wet Pennine weather, and to work on a press release highlighting the National Trusts progressive attitude on new ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

We are helping the National Trust achieve this by collecting all the many different types of plastic waste from the Gibson Mill Café, and recycling this waste into signs and post and rail fencing which the National Trust has used to replace the ever rotting wooden alternative. This is true Open Loop Recycling.

This reminded me of the myriad of environmental projects that I have implemented in the past, particularly the protection against erosion of the UK's globally important upland peat moorlands. This is an issue for which I believe British Recycled Products has some unique solutions to, but that will be covered next time in another of my guest blogs

Ian O'Leary is Operations Manager for British Recycled Products

How long will your fencing last?

2010-05-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

Following the ban on chrome and arsenic in wood preservatives, a recent study has shown that fence posts are rotting in the ground in as little as 3 years. In some cases, customers have taken legal action against fencing suppliers and contractors.

The ban on these chemicals was a necessary step: there was a case in Australia in which a family used treated wood on their barbecue with disastrous results. The arsenic in the smoke contaminated the cooking meat. The family dog died from arsenic poisoning after eating some of the barbecued meat and the whole family became dangerously ill. Studies showed that children playing on wooden playground equipment had much higher levels of arsenic on their hands than was considered safe.

The ban was also prompted by environmental concerns. One study on treated decking showed that soil beneath treated decking contained up to 80 times more arsenic than the surrounding samples. And the leaching starts almost immediately. The same study found that in soil samples taken under decking that had been in place for only 4 months already contained 3.5 times more arsenic than ordinary soil. The leaching continues as decks age.

Some research carried out in New Zealand produced similarly worrying results. It examined the leaching of Arsenic, Chromium and Copper from treated wood post into the surrounding soil. The figures below show where the samples were taken and the results found.

Results

Therefore treated timber contains some pretty nasty chemicals that will leach out into the environment, while the most effective treatments have been banned. Untreated wood will rot quickly, perhaps within as little as 3 years. This will be time consuming and costly to replace.. We believe that recycled plastic is the answer.

Recycled plastic is inert, that is, it will not leach anything into the environment. Recycled plastic fences and decks will have an expected life expectancy of at least five times that of timber alternatives, with little or no visible wear. It looks like wood, and diverts plastic from landfill helping to reduce your carbon footprint. It can also be worked like wood so it is just as easy to install.

Taking fencing as an example, our post and 3 rail fencing works out at about £16 per metre, while the same fence in wood will cost around £10-£12 per metre. Therefore it is slightly more expensive, however big savings are made on maintenance and replacements. The cost involved in getting someone to periodically treat and repair fencing can be vast, and the fencing will also need replacing periodically.

So, all in all, recycled plastic is a very attractive alternative to wood, either treated or untreated. Some of the key benefits are:

Extremely durable – The walkways have an expected life expectancy of at least five times that of timber alternatives, with little or no visible wear

Rot and algae proof – Very little or no maintenance is required and no painting nor preservatives need to be applied

Crack proof and insect resistant – Recycled composite material will not crack or dry out and is impervious to attack by insects

Labour saving – There are significant savings in labour costs due to reduced maintenance and replacement requirements

Non slip – The surface texture created in the manufacturing process produces a low slip risk surface and does not require the addition of chicken wire. Composite materials also retain latent heat efficiently resulting in a reduced frost/ice hazard for users of walkways or hard standing during cold periods.

Splinter free – Recycled composite materials do not splinter

UV resistant – There has been little of no colour loss or sunlight damage recorded on products that have been in-situ for 5+ years

Vandal resistant – Due to the surface texture and the materials used in the manufacture the products are more resistant to graffiti and have proved to be more resistant to other types of vandalism

Less flammable – The walkways are more difficult to ignite than timber equivalents

Whole life costs – Whole life costs are considerably reduced

Contact British Recycled Products to find out more, or get a quote.

Why we must recycle plastic

2010-05-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Plastic is everywhere in modern society, in almost everything. It is something that is not going to go away, it is just too useful in the world in which we live as it is adaptable, cheap and durable. It has been an integral part of the creation of a consumer society

The benefits of plastic, most of which relate to convenience, consumer choice and profit, have been phenomenal. When plastic manufacturing took off in the early 20th century, plastic was heralded as a miraculous material, and has been incorporated into almost everything. The total global production of plastic, which was five million tons in the 1950s, is now around 300 million tons a year.

However, this cheap, useful material is proving toxic for our environment. Being a non-biodegradable substance, composed of toxic chemicals, plastic pollutes earth, air and water.

Firstly, the huge production of plastic is a major source of pollution: substances emitted during the production of plastic include synthetic chemicals like ethylene oxide, benzene and xylenes, extremely nasty chemicals that can have extremely nasty results for human beings coming into contact with them, as well as being ultra-poisonous to the environment into which these emissions are released.

Plastic production requires significant quantities of resources, primarily fossil fuels, both as a raw material and to deliver energy for the manufacturing process. It is estimated that 4% of the world's annual oil production is used as a feedstock for plastics production and an additional 3-4% during manufacture. Plastic ties up an incredible amount of our natural resources, which are wasted when thrown away.

What happens to the plastic when it is disposed of is if anything a much larger problem. Except for the small percentage that has been incinerated (releasing all those chemicals, including dioxin, the most toxic substance known to science), every single molecule of plastic that has ever been manufactured is still somewhere in the environment, and some 100 million tons of it are floating in the oceans.

Double click to open video in a new window

In parts, plastic now outweighs plankton six-to-one in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, while a never ending tide of plastic rubbish washes up on previously pristine beaches. This worrying development, until recently undiscovered, is known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Fragments of plastic are everywhere, even forming an increasing part of the sediment of the Earth. The plastic poisoning the oceans is regarded by some scientists and geologists as representing the first stage of a transformation into sedimentary rock. Therefore, the legacy of the modern human age in geological terms could well be a dead weight of millions of tonnes of toxic plastic, our world turning plastic in a very real sense!

Plastic that has been sent to landfill rather than discarded into the environment still has to be seen as a major problem. Plastic in landfill will not biodegrade, and will leach its component chemicals into the ground, resulting in the contamination of water sources, which drains into lakes and streams. Fires in landfill sites are a common occurence, resulting in more toxic emissions, while space in landfills is fast running out.

So far, so depressing. However, hope is provided by the explosion in plastics recycling in the last couple of decades, fueled by these environmental and financial imperatives. The increasing price of oil, and its finite nature means that mining operations to dig plastic out of landfill are forecast to begin within the decade. Waste suitable for recycling is already being dug out of landfill sites in the United States and it is thought that commodity prices are on the verge of making it a profitable option in Britain, where 200 million tonnes of plastic have been buried as landfill since the late 1980s. Recycling technology is developing at a rapid rate, as is consumer acceptance of and preference for recycled goods.

An amazing array of high quality products are now made from recycled plastic as technology has improved, everything from mobile phones to bridges able to be used by tanks. Indeed here at British Recycled Products our main selling point is the quality and durability of our range, rather than the environmental benefits. The very qualities that make plastic so problematic when disposed of i.e. it will not rot or break down, are extremely beneficial when the material is refashioned into products such as lumber, decking, furniture and fencing. It reduces the need for replacement and maintenance, therefore making it an extremely cost effective reuse of resources.

Recycling is incredibly eco-friendly in comparison with any other alternative. Recycling saves 2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per tonne of plastic in comparison to incineration (2008 Life Cycle Analysis of Management Options for Mixed Waste Plastics) while ensuring the material does not end up as waste. In addition to this recycling reduces consumption of other precious natural resources. For example, if recycled plastic lumber could replace the use of virgin wood on a mass scale, the dual ecological nightmares of mounting plastic waste and the destruction of the rainforests could both be eased significantly.

Building the market for recycled plastic products is the only real, commercially viable way of dealing with the problem of plastic. Governments around the world are pledging to move towards low carbon, sustainable procurement policies, and it is they who have the purchasing power and infrastructure building capabilities to drive this process.

In the UK there is still much to be done. The amount of plastic waste generated annually nationwide is estimated to be nearly 3 million tonnes. An estimated 56% of all plastics waste is used packaging, three-quarters of which is from households. It is estimated that only 7% of total plastic waste is currently being recycled. Therefore government and local councils need to make it easier to recycle, without taking a punitive approach that alienates many from the process.

To make this happen investment will be needed, something that could be hard to achieve in the coming years as the budget deficit starts to impact upon government spending. Therefore more needs to be made of the potential value of the resources that we waste, as well as increasing awareness within procurement departments of the reduced whole life costs associated with recycled plastic products, and therefore the savings that are possible on maintenance budgets.

With so many reasons to build the market for recycled products, we here at British Recycled Products are determined to do all we can to make the shift towards choosing recycled alternatives as easy and cost effective as is possible, and develop attractive new uses for the recycled material. Doing this is our small contribution to the collective efforts being made to address the problem of waste plastic.

Hebden Royd schoolkids recycled reward

2010-05-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Left to right: George Deakin, Abbie Gillson, Rose Smethurst Robinson, Joseph Etherington and British Recycled Products Operations Director, Ian O'Leary

Children from one of the schools local to our office, Hebden Royd C of E Junior School, are shown here together with the British Recycled Products Operations Director, Ian O'Leary, and an 80 kilogram Oakworth bench made from recycled plastic.

The pupils at this particular school have always shown massive interest in protecting the environment in one way or another and had collected 80 kilograms of milk bottle tops that, although they are made of a very recyclable type of plastic, our local council's contractor will not process. Although their scrap value is around a tenth of the cost of the bench, British Recycled Products recognised the school's efforts by taking the highly unusual step of making a straight weight-for-weight swap.

Hebden Royd Head Teacher, Gretl Young, said "We have thouroughly enjoyed the challenge set by British Recycled Products. The whole school community has worked so hard to collect these tops. We'e been amazed by the number we would have thrown away. Recycling needs to be adopted as part of our way of life."

BTCV's recycled plastic steps at Flamborough

2010-05-02T04:05:00.001-07:00

I am delighted to see that BTCV, the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, are using our recycled plastic lumber for a series of 97 steps on the Flamborough Coastal Path.

I will be going up there in the next few weeks to interview some of the people involved on video and photograph the installation when complete with a view to creating a more detailed case-study paper. This will be of great use to the many publicly funded bodies responsible for keeping steps, outdoor furniture, and a great number of other facilities that currently use wood, in good repair.

The photos above have been supplied by BTCV, a national body, with locally based groups.

UK playing catch up on recycling

2010-04-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

As the new girl at British Recycled Products I thought it was time I started to join our team of bloggers, writing about all things wise, wonderful and of relevance to our recycling world.

Although I have been on a mission to reduce, repair, recycle and re-use as far I can for some years, having worked at British Recycled Products in Hebden Bridge for just over a month now, I am even more conscious that we all need to do a lot more than we do already to address this global problem.

What particularly worries me is the fact that despite media focus, government eco policies and local authority promises that more will be done, the UK still seems to lag way behind other EU countries in the way household waste is collected and managed. Too often finance dictates the method used rather than any ecological or ethical need.

In the very rural and not at all touristy area in Spain where friends of mine live for example, there is no need to wash or separate much of the material that here in the UK we spend so much time cleaning, sorting and storing whilst waiting for our unreliable fortnightly collections.

More significantly though, there are no weekly or fortnightly collections of any material at all. On the outskirts of each village is a recycling point to which residents take their recycling as a matter of course each time they visit the village.

All types of plastic is bagged up with cans. This plastic covers the whole range from shampoo bottles, food trays and clingfilm to margarine tubs and milk cartons. None of this, nor cans are washed before recycling as is insisted on by my Local Authority.

Paper and card go together with no restriction on the thickness of the cardboard. Glass is separated as is usual here.

Food waste is more tricky but the household pets and compost heap caters for this in general although there is a container for waste that does not fit into any of the above categories.

These communal areas are emptied and cleaned a couple of times a week. I may be being naive but this would appear to me to be a more cost effective waste management system than attempting to collect from each individual household. In addition, there must be some far more advanced method of recycling used in these countries that is able to cater for a wider range of materials than that used in my area.

I know that Spain is not unique in this with many other EU countries adopting similar models. The UK needs to change. How can we push for this change?

Any thoughts folks?

UK Green Pages IPhone app

2010-04-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

British Recycled Products is launching a new IPhone app, UK Green Pages, a mobile directory of green businesses and shops, social enterprises and charities.

(click to enlarge)

Uk Green Pages will be free to download and will enable the user to search for sustainable products and services both locally and nationwide.

The aim of the app is to make finding ethical goods quick and easy, whether for the individual looking for eco-friendly shops in the local vicinity or for organisations looking to establish a sustainable supply chain.

In order to make the database as comprehensive as possible business listings can be added to the app for free. To add your business, sign up here

The app is very much a work in progress, with a database that will build with time, and that will gain extra functionality as we gain feedback from users, and suggestions for new features.

We will keep you posted on when the app goes live and is available for download. In the meantime if you know of a great green business, or feel your own business could benefit from the exposure, please submit it for inclusion when the app launches.

New recycled styrene products

2010-04-16T03:39:00.000-07:00

We are supplying a new range of recycled styrene gates, a tougher, more durable alternative to wood made in the UK from 100% recycled styrene.

The gates can be made to any dimension or design, and can be dyed any colour at production stage, so contact us with your requirements for a quote.

(ground styrene ready for remoulding)

The products durability and vandal resistance means that they are a long term solution.

We are very keen on the material as it is lightweight and therefore easy to handle, but incredibly tough. The gates are the first of several new styrene products that will soon be available from British Recycled Products, a couple of examples of which are pictured below.

National Trust site installs British Recycled Products range

2010-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

(Click pictures to enlarge)

British Recycled Products recently supplied a number of 100% recycled plastic products to one of the National Trusts flagship green sites, Hardcastle Crags, close to us in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.

The site is a beautiful 400 acre area of unspoiled woodland that i would well recommend a visit to. It is one of the National Trusts flagship green sites, containing the award winning green visitor centre Gibson mill (powered by hydro-electric turbines, photo-voltaic panels, solar power, and biomass from the woodland).

The green credentials of the site now include a bridge which we can now produce from our recycled plastic lumber and decking, a number of signs and fingerposts and some fencing. Notice on the fencing that the green top rail on the far left-hand side, the old wooden rail, is weathered by age and covered with moss. This is precisely the reason it has been replaced by our zero-maintenance, durable recycled plastic alternative, resistant to rot and moss growth.

The National Trust play a vital role in preserving the countryside, and our historic buildings, and are making great efforts to be as environmentally friendly as is possible (e.g cutting fossil fuel use in half by 2020). We are a delighted that recycled products will play a part in these efforts.

Major price decrease on recycled fence stakes

2010-04-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to be able to offer our 100% recycled plastic fence stakes at almost half our previous price.

We are able to offer this reduction for two reasons. Firstly, because the stakes are now sold in larger packs rather than individually, bringing about economies of scale. Secondly recent material processing efficiencies and mould amalgamations allow for cheaper production costs.

The stakes are made from only post consumer waste, the household recycling that we all contribute to (so no, it doesnt all end up in the tip in China!). For organisations or estates with a large requirement it is possbile to set up an open loop recycling system, meaning we can take the customers plastic waste and remould it into fence stakes, an exceptionally eco-friendly development in estate management

The recycled plastic material is ultra durable and long lasting meaning once the stakes are in the ground they will not need replacing.

Fence stakes made from traditional materials tend to rot easily, especially the part imbedded in the ground as it is constantly affected by moisture and humidity. This means they have to be replaced periodically, and the wiring restrung, meaning alot of extra work. As recycled plastic does not rot there is no danger of this happening, bring about significantly reduced maintenance costs.

For information on the best way to install post and wire fencing, I recommend BTCVs excellent guide (a fantastic charity, and one of our customers). Alternatively, the video below shows a post and wire installation in progress, illustrating the strength of the product (as they are being installed with a post knocker) and how they can be worked (in this case a chainsaw).

For further information, or a quote, please get in touch.

The Hard Landscaping Show

2010-03-16T08:48:00.000-07:00

British Recycled Products will be exhibiting at The Hard Landscaping Show 2010, again sharing a stand with the good people at BALI.

Taking place March 24th-25th at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, the show is designed for for the professional landscaper and will feature the best in new products, tools and technology.

We will be showing off our range off landscaping products such as the ever popular Hebden 40, decking and outdoor furniture, as well as a few new prototypes being worked on as I type.

As well as a wide range of exhibitors, the show will run numberous demonstrations, workshops and seminars. It also encompases the World of Paving exhibition, the Uk's first dedicated paving industry event

The event is free (register here) so make sure you sign up and come visit us at stand F2

Boardwalk, platform, and fishing peg design

2010-03-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

As i touched upon in a previous blog, British Recycled Products are doing some exciting things with bespoke decking and boardwalk, producing some fantastic projects in recycled plastic, a material offering significant advantages over traditional wood.

However, many customers are not aware that our technical department offer a design service, taking the requirements of the customer and the topography of the site to produce an ideal solution, detailing the lumber and construction methods required for the project.

Part of this involves producing computer sketches as a guide. A few of these are pictured here as an indication.
So if you have a project and would like to discuss what we can offer in recycled plastic, get in touch with us through the usual channels.

Recycled Glass: and the award goes to...

2010-03-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

It has been extremely busy here at British Recycled Products recently, with an office move, new members of staff, a new showroom opening imminently (watch this space) and a wide range of new products under development.

One of our new offerings is 100% recycled glass products. The recycled glass is beautiful, finished to the highest standard, and very competitively priced, made entirely from glass recovered from household and commercial waste.

Our first project was to create some award trophies for Groundwork Cheshire for their Green Profits awards (click pictures to enlarge).

The finished product looked fantastic, and being 100% recycled means it was a fitting prize for businesses that had demonstrated outstanding sustainable procurement policies.

The material can be used to create a wide array of bespoke items in a wide array of colours, so please contact us with your requirements or ideas if it is of interest.

As well as bespoke design, we can offer 100% recycled glass tiles designed for lighting, surfaces, panelling, bar tops, partitions and splashbacks. Again, contact us for our full range and pricing.

The manufacturing process involves transforming waste glass into cullet, which is then thermally formed into new glass. Finishing processes such as cutting, edge polishing, fusing and kiln forming, sand blasting, laminating and decorative processes are carried out to render the material suitable for a variety of applications.

British Recycled Products At Ecobuild 2010!

2010-03-03T03:27:00.000-08:00

It's Day 2 for the British Recycled Products team at Ecobuild 2010, after a very busy first day, Managing Director, Jason Elliott and Operations Director, Ian O'Leary are currently approaching the midway point of the three day expedition. If you're in the area this week, do pop along to Earl's Court and see with your own eyes what British Recycled Products have to offer.

20% Off Lumber Throughout February

2010-02-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products can now offer an amazing 20% discount on all orders of our recycled plastic lumber profiles throughout the month of February.

As part of an end-of-tax-year stock clearance, any order of lumber placed in February will be significantly cheaper than our published trade prices, no matter what delivery date is required.

Our recycled plastic lumber, made by an intrusion moulding process for extra strength, is tough, durable and can be worked in the same way as wood.

Made from 100% recycled plastic, diverted from landfill, the material will not rot, splinter or fade, and has a significantly longer lifespan than wood. Click here for more information.

The product comes in a wide range of dimensions and lengths, and includes tongue and groove profiles, decking boards and railway sleepers. Download our pricelist for the full range. Each product comes in either brown or black.

Grab yourself a bargain by contacting British Recycled Products today.

Recycled trolley prototype - designed by Katie Davies

2010-02-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

A GCSE product design student, Katie Davies, contacted us recently with a request for some of our 100% recycled plastic lumber in order to build a prototype of a trolley in eco-friendly material.

Always keen to explore new uses for the product, and show the potential of the material, we sent some out post-haste.

The students local authority provides residents with lightweight flimsy reusable bags which are used to collect garden waste for recycling. The trolley was designed to allow people to pull the bag to the kerbside, preventing the bag from tearing, and making the job a lot easier!

The result is fantastic, and certainly solves the problem it was designed for:

The handle was filed down to made it more comfortable to grip, and a hinged back panel was added so the waste bag can be dragged onto the base of the trolley without having to lift it.

The finished product is solid, durable and environmentally friendly, making the project a great success. We are certainly impressed with not only the finished product, but also the initiative and creativity of Katie. A bright future in product design could await!

Heres One I RE:made Earlier

2010-02-03T05:31:00.000-08:00

(Click the picture to enlarge)

British Recycled Products have donated one of our 100% recycled plastic seats to Ross on Wye council for use by the town. The prize was part of a junkk.com competition 'Heres One I RE:made earlier' to find innovative ideas on how to reuse plastic.

The competition was won by a group of students from a school in Ross-on-Wye who designed a system for stacking teacups made by reusing a plastic drinks bottle. The winners decided to donate the seat to the local community, a brilliant gesture that allows the people of Ross-on-Wye to make use of our durable, zero maintenance and attractive seat for many years to come.

We are delighten to see young people engaging in environmental issues and coming up with ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, and also thinking of the community in donating the seat. A good show all round!

Floods, SUDS and new legislation

2010-01-26T02:36:00.000-08:00

I have written a number of times on the perils of impermeable surfaces when it comes to Britains flood defences, and the need for action on the issue.

As the area of impermeable surfaces continues to grow it becomes harder for rainwater to seep into the ground and instead runs off into rivers and the sewerage system. This puts a strain on our Victorian infrastructure at the best of times, and when rainfall is heavy flooding is inevitable as sewers overflow and rivers break their banks.

This was amply illustrated in recent flooding of Cockermouth, and the 2007 floods across Britain (The Environment Agency calculated that two-thirds of the flooding experienced in the UK in 2007 was caused by surface water overwhelming the sewerage system).

This serious flooding caused billions of pounds worth of damage to property (and that figure is set to rise exponentially in the future), but more importantly causes untold misery for those affected, and even loss of life.

Measures are already in place to encourage organisations to adopt permeable surfaces, such as the 'Rain Tax' (see my previous blog on the subject for more details) and planning permissions, and a change of attitude is definitely underway in Government, town planning, architects and the construction industry.

However, the rate of conversion of impermeable surfaces to permeable is very small, and many new private developments do not incorporate SuDS (sustainable urban development strategies) into the design and construction, whether it be driveways, car parks or pathways.

I recently spoke to the owner of a company specialising in driveways who said SUDS / water permeable surfaces were not a concern to him, and he didn't want the bother of finding permeable alternatives when laying tarmac is cheaper and easier. He also said he knew he could get around any existing SUDS legislation as no one was enforcing it.

The first point to make is that if you are laying tarmac properly it will be far more expensive than using water permeable paving such as our Hebden 40 (I make no apology for plugging it, as it is a fantastic product, and 100% recycled).

Secondly that is a terrible attitude to take when ones company can either be part of the problem or part of the solution, and doesn't display much forward thinking.

Thirdly, he is right about being able to get away with it at the moment. There have been cases where developers have been held liable for damage caused by flooding where the potential consequences were known and where steps could have been taken to address it (e.g. Lambert v Barratt Homes Limited (Manchester Division) [2009] EWHC 744 (QB)). However this is very much the exception. Existing legislation is not tough enough to tackle this problem, and is not compelling people to change the way they approach the issue.

However, that is set to change with the introduction of the Flood and Water Management Bill from Defra, currently being debated in parliament (and highlighted in the Queen's Speech), which draws heavily on the recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt's review of the floods of 2007.

As part of a wide ranging set of measures designed to mitigate the risk of flooding, water permeable surfacing will become an integral part of our future landscape.

The bill proposes that the drainage system for all new developments or redevelopments needs to be approved by new council-run SUDS approving bodies, taking account of new national standards for sustainable drainage systems (to be drafted in spring 2010). "This covers the building or a structure where the ability of the land to absorb rainwater is affected, and includes construction of roads" (source).

It also compels local and highways authorities to contribute to and maintain sustainable development in order to reduce their flood risk. In addition, the proposals include removing the automatic right to connect to a public sewer on all new developments. One of Pitt's conclusions was that the right to connect to a sewer is one of the main reasons SUDS are rarely adopted in new developments, despite the well publicised financial and environmental benefits.

The bill is expected to become law this year, and will hopefully go along way in equipping the nation to deal with the increased flood risk and in time significantly reduce the flood risk. Therefore SUDS will become a routine feature of all new construction, and is well worth paying close attention to now to ensure you remain ahead of the curve.

The links below provide simple guidance on what the Bill means for:

Property Developers

Local Authorities (and funding for Local Authorities)

Individuals

Please contact British Recycled Products if you have any questions about the practicalities and costs of creating hard standing with our water permeable Hebden 40 ground reinforcement system, or guidance on installation, so you are future proofed and thus able to react to any changes with ease and without disruption.
The product is quick and easy to install and incredible value for money. It can easily bear the weight of all UK legal vehicles, and creates attractive hard standing finished with gravel or grass. It is made in Britain from 100% recycled plastic diverted from landfill. It shows that the changes on the horizon are not a cause for concern, but a chance to improve our built environment

Open and closed loop recycling

2010-01-22T06:03:00.000-08:00

WRAP state that the UK consumes over 5 million tonnes of plastic annually, much of which is disguarded. This is so wasteful financially and environmentally that something needs to be done to address it. In the absence of serious investment in improving the nations recycling infrastructure, many companies are establishing their own recycling schemes as part of Corporate Social Responsibility pledges.

British Recycled Products can offer both open and closed loop recycling to businesses and organisations of all sizes, as an effective waste management solution.

We are often asked what the difference between open and closed loop recycling is, and the two terms are often mixed up, even by professionals!

The idea of a recycling loop is that an organisation or company teams up with a recycler to efficiently recycle its own waste, receiving it back for reuse. It is a system that is increasingly being adopted in order to minimise the waste created in the business world, while proving very cost effective.

Open loop recycling is where waste plastic of all kinds is taken away and remade into a variety of different products for use by the company. For example, a company might send us a range of plastics consumed by the business such as packaging, offcuts, damaged goods and redundant fittings to be recycled, and have our recycled plastic lumber or outdoor furniture redelivered in its place.

Closed loop recycling is where used or damaged plastic products are remade into the exact same product again and returned to the organisation. For example Tesco might send us damaged bollards to be recycled into new ones, saving the product being discarded and providing a top quality replacement without extra materials costs.

British Recycled Products are keen to sign up new businesses and organisations for this system, please get in touch if you would like to discuss possibilities

Bespoke boardwalk design

2010-01-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products are delighted to have teamed up with a highly experienced national decking and boardwalk installation firm, and are now able to combine our state-of-the-art design services with their unsurpassed practical skills.

This means we can now see your bespoke projects through from a glimmer of an idea to the reality of a long lasting, maintenance-free structure on the ground.

The tide is turning against the use of tropical hardwood in decking and boardwalk construction, and our 100% recycled plastic alternative offers real practical and financial incentives to go green.

For one, the durability of the product significantly lowers the whole-life-cost of any project. The decking and supports will not rot, and do not need painting or treating with chemicals, offering significant savings on maintenance and replacement costs.

Another major selling point of our recycled plastic decking is the fact that it is non-slip, because of the surface texture created in the manufacturing process. This makes the product safter than traditional wood alternatives, especially in wet conditions (a downloadable slip-test report is avaliable from British Recycled Products main website here). Composite recycled plastic also retains latent heat efficiently, resulting in a reduced frost/ice hazard for users of walkways or hard standing during cold periods.

The decking is vandal resistant because the texture does not allow spraypaint etc to adhere to the surface. This, coupled with the fact that the material is chemically inert and non porus thus preventing paint getting into the grain, means graffiti can very easily be wiped off.

The superior strength of the recycled plastic lumber in comparison with wood also means the material is much harder to damage by force.

The environmental benefits of choosing recycled plastic decking are huge: for every 1.5m section of boardwalk 1500 plastic bottles are reused, diverted away from landfill where the material would go to waste, while leaching chemicals into the ground.

Plastic is made from oil. Oil is a finite resource that will one day run out, and it seems crazy that so much of it is wasted by disposing of plastic rather than reusing it. In addition to this, the hugely dangerous deforestation of our planet, especially of the critically important rainforests, is in part fuelled by the desire for virgin wood for products such as decking. This approach is not sustainable, which is why now is the time for purchasing habits to switch to recycled alternatives. This happening on a mass scale would be massivily beneficial to the future of our planet, which is the biggest benefit I can possibly give for choosing our recycled plastic decking!

Visit the decking and walkways section of our website for more information, and get in touch if you would like further information, or a design to suit your needs.

Working with recycled plastic lumber

2010-01-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequently asked questions our customers have regarding our recycled plastic lumber is whether it can be cut and worked in the same way as wood.

As the video illustrates, the lumber can easily be cut to any length using normal cutting equipment. It can also be cut easily with a hand saw. The material can be drilled and takes screws in the same way as wood. For more information, visit our website

The benefits of using recycled plastic lumber are clear: it will not rot, splinter and has greater strength than wood. Once people know that the material does not limit construction in any way, they tend to be converted!

Get guidance on recycling

2010-01-08T03:40:00.000-08:00

Find out what you can recycle at Recyclenow

Visit Ecobuild 2010

2010-01-07T07:14:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products are once again exhibiting at the fantastic Ecobuild exhibition, held between Tuesday 2nd - Thursday 4th March 2010 at Earls Court in London.

Combining over 850 exhibitors and over 100 conference and seminar sessions, with dozens of brilliant interactive educational attractions, the event is the biggest and highest profile sustainable design and construction showcase anywhere in the world.

We will be displaying our range of 100% recycled products, along with new additions and prototypes. Make sure you register and come visit us at the Green Shoots area, stand GS102.

Harrogate Week 2010

2010-01-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to be attending the Harrogate Week exhibiton, organised by BIGGA (The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association), taking place 19-21st January.

British Recycled Products will be exhibiting alongside BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) showcasing our range of turf protection and estate management products, as well as our zero maintenance outdoor furniture.

We will also be giving a presentation in the Queen's Suite between 9.45am and 10.15am on Tuesday 19th January on the use of our Hebden 40 ground protection system.

We would love to meet you if you are going to what should be a fantastic event, so stop by and see us at stand B38a.

Shelters made with recycled plastic lumber

2010-01-06T02:34:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products can now offer shelters made with recycled plastic lumber, working in conjunction with Ace Shelters.

Ace used our recycled plastic lumber for the seats and backrests of their aluminium shelters not only because of the product's environmental credentials, but also as the material will not rot, split or splinter, and cannot be vandalised. This means the shelters are totally zero maintenance and extremely durable.

The shelter pictured above was made for a school; smoking shelters, bus shelters and cycle shelters are also avaliable. We are delighted to see recycled material being incorporated into all manner of exisiting products, and encourage all companies and organisations to do similar.

A Happy New Year from British Recycled Products

2010-01-04T07:17:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year from British Recycled Products

As we swing into gear for what will be a fantastic year, I would like to take the time to thank all our customers, both past, present and future, for their custom, and wish you all a happy and prosperous 2010.

After a record breaking year in 2009, many tonnes of British plastic waste was diverted from landfill, put to good use in our Hebden 40 cellular paving, our outdoor furniture, our lumber etc. We are committed to increasing this amount in 2010, and help to further expand the market for recycled products through product innovation, excellent pricing and the highest standards of customer service.

British Recycled Products has an exciting 2010 in prospect, with new products and technical innovation imminent. We are also on the verge of opening a new eco-shop, stocking our range of 100% recycled construction and landscaping products, along with other cutting edge green technologies and low carbon products.

Check this blog, or our twitter account, and we will keep you posted on the latest developments. Make sure that going green in 2010 is the New Years Resolution you keep!

Prototypes

2009-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products Director Jason Elliott shows off a couple of new offerings made from our 100% recycled plastic lumber

New Distributorship Announced

2009-12-11T03:09:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products are pleased to announce that Skipton based Builders Merchants Merritt & Fryers are now stocking our Hebde n 40 100% recycled, water permeable ground reinforcement system.

This is good news for members of the public wanting to buy small amounts of the product direct.

It is also possible to buy Hebden 40 in small quantities from our Ebay store and also from all outlets of TG Builders

For reasons why you should buy Hebden 40, read my blog on the subject

Bespoke outdoor furniture

2009-12-10T02:37:00.001-08:00

Designer Richard Shed was commissioned by the Shoreditch Trust, a charitable regeneration agency, to produce furniture for their Eco-conference facility, restaurant and community courtyard.

Drawing inspiration from Enzo Mari's Autoprogettazione project the courtyard furniture was built on the principles of bracing, battening and structural transparency. Each joint and junction is highlighted by brightly coloured washers.

Richard used British Recycled Products recycled plastic lumber to make some of these pieces. The material can be worked in the same way as wood, and is ideal for outside use as it does not rot, split or splinter.

Another great example of the possibilities that our lumber present comes from Widemarsh Enterprises, a fantastic social enterprise who have been working to create a range of products from our recycled lumber, that will be avaliable soon (watch this space!).

The pictures below show their prototype of a New England chair, previously made from wood, which really illustrates what can be done with the material. The possibilities seem endless.

Junkk.com Competition: Winner Announced

2009-12-09T04:56:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products are providing the top prize in a competition organised by junkk.com and The Guardian - Heres One I RE:made Earlier!

The competition is for the best, most original idea for the reuse of plastic. Junkk.com encourages people to reduce, reuse, repair and recycle and provides advise and inspiration for people wanting to turn discarded material into something useful, rather than throw it out as rubbish.

We at British Recycled products support this sentiment 100%, so are donating one of our fantastic 100% recycled plastic seats to the winner.

The Judges, Dennis Humble of the charity EnviroAbility and visual artist Neil Carroll, gave marks out of 10 for creativity, consumer appeal, and eco-impact. All were simple, but still effective. And, in a one case, very stylish.

The Decision

Runners up:

Slug deterrant collar - designed by user Houseofstrauss

Earrings - designed by user swirlyarts

Bathroom rubbish bin - designed by user veacoker

The Winner:

Cup stack holder - designed by user junkktween

The grand prize winner was chosen for its high marks across all the criteria. Said the judges:

'This is an idea we can see many people take advantage of, and benefiting from, especially where space is tight, for instance in flats, caravans or boats'.

Congratulations to the winner for a fantastic idea, a great way to make use of plastic drinks bottles once empty rather than throwing them away. One of our seats will be winging its way over shortly, a fitting prize for a competiton designed to put waste plastic to good use!

British Recycled Products at the BALI awards 2009

2009-12-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products are pleased to be sponsoring the Recycled Materials award at todays BALI National Landscaping Awards 2009 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane.

The event is the biggest in the landscaping industry, with over 800 delegates attending this years award. Judging is undertaken by a panel of leading industry experts, who take into account environmental and sustainable issues when judging each scheme. The BALI National Landscape Awards are held in such high regard because each site that is entered for an award is visited by a judge from the panel, a fact which sets the awards apart from other industry accolades.

Part of British Recycled Products mission is to widen the market for recycled products, so we are keen to celebrate the innovative use of recycled material displayed by the award nominees.

Director Jason Elliott remarked “As proud members of the BALI family we are delighted to be supporting an award highlighting the use of recycled material in landscaping. We have come along way in recent years in convincing landscaping companies to switch to environmentally friendly and recycled alternatives, and organisations such as BALI are at the forefront of this change.”

Here are some pictures documenting the day:

An early start this morning, making the trip down from Hebden Bridge

Arrive at Grosvenor House and set up our sponsors stand, weighed down with samples and brochures (if you are interested in being sent a sample of our products, please get in touch!)

The awards get underway, wine or water? hmmmmmm

British Recycled Products MD Jason Elliott presents the award for Recycled Materials to CR Swift Landscaping (click to enlarge) Congratulations!

A recycled Christmas

2009-12-03T01:50:00.001-08:00

Just about everything is avaliable in recycled material these days, as illustrated by the British Recycled Products guide on to how to create an environmentally friendly, 100% recycled Christmas.

Firstly, the tree:

This tree has been created by the Eden Project in Cornwall, made from 22500 recycled plastic bags and bottles. Even the fairy that sits atop the tree is 100% recycled plastic.

While most people prefer a real tree to a plastic one, the shortage of real trees this year means there has never been a better time to switch to a recycled tree. Foreign trees such as the Nordmann fir, popular for its dark colour and needles that do not drop, will be a rarety this Christmas. This is because of the poor exhange rate, making it less profitable for foreign producers to import into the UK.

Only around 300000 will be imported this year, rather than the million plus in pervious years. British producers will not be making up the shortfall, as it is more profitable to sell their trees on the continent. This has prompted The British Christmas Tree Growers Association to warn that the price of trees is set to rise. On the other hand, plastic trees are an environmental nightmare and should not be the alternative. They are generally thrown out after a couple of years adding to the huge problem of plastic waste and are generally imported from thousands of miles away.

The environmentally concious could take this as a cue to switch to a recycled tree. Obviously not everyone can have a recycled tree like the Eden Projects, so what are the alternatives?

Click here to enter a competition to win a unique Christmas tree made from recycled cardboard, as pictured above, as well as information on how it was made if you are feeling ambitious and want to try make your own. It is also possible to build your own tree from recycled beer bottles, with stunning results

However, if you cannot do without the christmassy smell of a real tree, check out Christmas Tree Man. His trees are delivered in a pot with feed to keep the tree alive. After Christmas the tree is collected and replanted, so it provides "an ecosystem for wildlife and will continue to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen". The tree can be labeled so you can get the same tree again every year. When the tree gets too tall it is donated to a worthy cause and replanted for the rest of its natural life. This is just one of many Christmas tree recycling schemes out there.

the decorations:

Why not make your own decorations this year? The bauble pictured above is made from recycled shreds of plastic, but if that is too advanced click here for a guide to making baubles. A mass of ideas can be found here and here on creating a range of recycled Christmas decorations.

For a guide to green Christmas cards and wrapping paper, click here

the presents:

Every year buying gifts for those who have everything seems a real struggle. Rather than another sweatshirt or DVD, give something that will help our environment to add to that warm Christmas glow!

A great gift for Christmas is a membership to an environmental organisation, such as The Woodland Trust. Also take a look at the National Trusts range of virtual gifts, interesting presents that help with conservation, or help Greenpeace protect ugly fishes!

Making your own Christmas presents can help you ride out the recession, and are much more personal and interesting. Plus they dont have to be shipped over from thousands of miles away and can be made from 'upcycling' things from around the house.

For an environmentally concious way to spark petty arguments with the whole family on Christmas Day, why not buy in some green board games, made from recycled material.

the aftermath:

Once its all over, make sure you do your bit for the planet by recycling the masses of wrapping paper, cards, bottles of booze etc that mount up over the Christmas period.

Visit Recycle Now for some facinating facts about what we all go through each Christmas, and information on how all these resources can be recycled.

Theres not long to go until Christmas (according to the adverts) so make sure its a happy, eco-friendly one!

Help alleviate flooding

2009-11-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

In this video, British Recycled Products director, Jason Elliott, talks about the recent flooding, what has caused it, and what can be done to help.

As many people know, one of the reasons flooding has become more intense in recent years is because of the vast amount of green space that has been paved over in this country, much of it for additional parking requirements.

Millions of British households now have impermeable driveways or paved over gardens, and this decline in garden space increases the likelihood of flash floods as there is less green land to soak up rainwater, sending more of it into an already pressured drainage system. In London alone, 32km2 has been covered in the last ten years.

This is where using British Recycled Products' permeable Hebden 40 paving system made from recycled plastic comes into its own. Designed to let rainwater quickly permeate straight back to the water table, and attractively finished with either gravel or grass, with a correct substrate below it can support up to a 16 tonne point load making it perfect for vehicle use.

On the legislative front, it can be a great help in working with the new Flood and Water Management Bill and it is also compliant with Part M of the Building Regulations as it can be easily traversed by wheelchairs.

An environmental superhero

2009-11-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

British Recycled Products recently donated a plaque made from our recycled plastic lumber to a project by Pan Intercultural Arts. It involved young refugees designing an environmental superhero, and community artist Susan Swartzberg creating their vision out of recycled materials

The kids came up with 'The Eco Thunder Kid'. Click the picture below to enlarge

"Eco Thunder Kid lives underground on the Northern Line in North London. He gets electricity from trainsand finds it hard to sleep. He has dreams that the world is in danger... he wakes up and remembers the adventures he has had... The evil villain and bully Polluter has been polluting the earth again. Eco Thunder Kid dreams the world is now a ball of flames, he must save it!

He goes to the centre of Global Warming, where it started, where people drive too many cars, not reducing, reusing and recycling their waste, where the lights are left on and no one cares. He shows them, one by one, how to be better at saving the environment, giving the world another chance. But the villain Polluter will not stop there!

Back in his home underground, Eco Thunder Kid realises his dream was real. He gets a beep from his belt to say that animals and people are in danger. He flies to them in a flash of lightning. Polluter has been at it again! This time chopping down trees, ruining nature so people and animals have to leave their homes.

Eco Thunder Kid helps them and stops Polluter in his tracks... But he needs reinforcements. He buys a dog - Eco Thunder Dog. Together they out-smart Polluter and the villain leaves, defeated. Eco Thunder Kid wakes up, he’s back in his bed, he’s been dreaming again! And he realises, that saving the world, starts with a dream"

Our plaque in sittu in Russell Square Gardens

We thought we would share some pictures from the unveiling of the statue in Russell Square Gardens in London. It will be there for three months, before finding a permanent home at the Camden Recycling Centre.

The statue is unveiled by the major of Camden

The project was funded by Children in Need, and we think it turned out fantastically. Stop by and see it if you get the chance.

Climate Change: Future Shock

2009-11-18T04:03:00.000-08:00

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen approaches, the issue of climate change has never been higher on the political agenda, but a global consensus on how to tackle the problem, and the political will to push through practical change, seems as far away as ever.

The 'managing of expectations' for the event is currently under way, from people such as Ed Miliband and President Obama.

It seems the conference will be another example of a group of people all agreeing to do something, sometime in the future, as they all agree something needs doing at some point but cant face up to doing it just yet.

It also appears there will be far more lobbyists from big bu siness there than people wanting positive change.

Knowing that changes are needed it easy, committing to placing limits on pollution is not, baring in mind the practical barriers to doing so. Politically it is easy to set targets to be achieved in the future, and then find excuses at that point as to why it hasn't happened.

However, it is hard to place meaningful limits in place now, appearing to risk jobs and growth while imperilling those all important campaign contributions! It is in many ways the same for all of us, it is easy to use a bag for life or shop ethically, but hard to use less electricity or use the car less when it is integral to ones way of life.

These political barriers are raised by the fact that an ever increasing proportion of emissions emanate from the developing world, where rapid growth is pulling millions out of poverty. This growth overrides all other concerns, including the environment and climate change. This is causing despair in environmental circles as the final nail in the planets coffin.

The fact is western nations still have a vast lead in CO2 emissions per capita e.g. the average American is responsible for 19.4 tons compared with 5.1 tonnes for the average Chinese and 1.2 tonnes for the average Indian. Much of the CO2 produced by developing nations such as China and India comes from the production of products for consumption by western nations. The hypocrisy of the western world trying to limit the third world development in the name of Climate Change, when doing very little to tackle the issue itself, seems very unfair; imperialism in a green garb.

An example of this is in the reaction to a new affordable car made in India, the Nano from Tata motors. The car will sell for the equivalent of £1300 and allow millions of Indians to afford their own car (a change that helped catalyse massive social and economic change in the western world throughout the twentieth century). Therefore a massive number of new cars will soon hit the road. This Washington Post article tackled the issue in a way that angered many, with the author stating "if millions of Indians and Chinese get to have their own cars, the planet is doomed" while highlighting how hard it will hit the struggling, gas guzzler producing, American car industry.

To be fair to the author, the article is more balanced than the reaction to it suggested, making a nuanced point about how best developing nations could build a modern, sustainable transport system rather than aping the bad habits of the west. In addition, the article tackles this subject of western hypocrisy on Climate Change, for example when quoting an Indian college student telling the author "Just when we can finally start to enjoy the things you people have had for decades - cars, air conditioners - you tell us 'Sorry, too late, you can't now'. I mean, you created this mess. You won't reduce your consumption, but you tell us we can't increase ours."

Human nature has always been to push development at all costs, with no thought as to the finite nature of resources or the implications of pumping pollution into our fragile environment. We as a species have always striven for an easier, more comfortable existence, and reversing this will be a real struggle. Human nature also dictates that major, potentially painful changes will be put off until there is absolutely no option but to change. The pessimist in me feels it will take serious, life altering changes in our environment to trigger wholesale changes in our society towards a sustainable way of living. Until then, the fear of impacting profit and convenience will override all concerns over Climate Change.

Yet another barrier to tackling Climate Change is the very real fact that the majority do not believe it is taking place. A recent study finds that only 2 in 5 British voters believe that climate change is real and caused by human activity. The number is even lower elsewhere, and many scientists also still deny mankinds effect on Climate Change.

Arguments put forth to support this range from the fact that the Earths climate has always been in a state of constant change, to the idea that volcanoes release far more CO2 than humankind to conspiracy theories about creating mass panic.

Without attempting to debunk these theories in detail, it seems impossible to deny the impact of humankind on the planet, the evidence is all around us and increasing daily as rainforests, resources and species disappear, water levels rise and fish stocks fall, and deserts and landfill sites grow.

Some action does need to be taken at the highest levels now to turn this juggernaut around. Much is being done in so many fields by so many organisations and individuals, but as long as current industrial practices remain unchanged, global supply chains remain so vast and patterns of consumption are maintained, these actions will sadly remain a drop in the ocean.

It will take the vision to see that our way of life need not deteriorate in a transition to a low carbon, sustainable existence. British Recycled Products recently signed up to the Copenhagen Communique which sets out the business case for real change, along with ideas on how to achieve it.

Economic development will not be sustained in the longer term unless the climate is stabilised. It is critical that we exit this recession in a way that lays the foundation for low-carbon growth and avoids locking us into a high-carbon future

if a sufficiently ambitious, effective and globally equitable deal can be agreed, it will create the conditions for transformational change in our global economy and deliver the economic signals that companies need if they are to invest billions of dollars in low carbon products, services, technologies and infrastructure.

Tackling Climate Change offers real opportunities to increase our prosperity, and maintain it in the future, by replacing old industrial practises and ways of thinking with new sustainable industries. So much untapped potential exists in renewable energy and transport, environmentally friendly products and recycling.

A transition towards real investment in, and eventually reliance upon, these new industries requires political will, and the bravery to face the upheaval that will inevitably take place. But upheaval is what is required, and this action needs to be taken now, as there is no time to waste. We need not fear the future, as long as we ensure that we have a fighting chance to flourish.

Business awards video

2009-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

We have made a short video about British Recycled Products for the Halifax Courier Business Awards 2009 (where we are nominated for the Best New Business Award). Let us know what you think of it.

British Recycled Products to sponsor BALI award

2009-11-03T01:36:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce sponsorship of the 'Best Use of Recycled Material' award at the 2009 BALI National Landscape Awards.

The awards ceremony takes place on Friday 4th December at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, bringing the landscaping industry together to celebrate quality and achievement. The awards is in its 33rd year, and is recognised as the highest achievement in the industry.

BALI is a great organisation, and we are keen to encourage our fellow members to be innovative in the use of recycled materials. We look forward to seeing more examples of how recycled products have been put to great use, and will keep you posted!

Video Making Competition Update

2009-10-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

A few months back, British Recycled Products launched a video making competition for schools.

The competition was conceived as a way of raising awareness of recycling issues to kids, as well as a fun project, encouraging creativity and self-expression. The videos are to be judged by a distinguished panel of experts and the school deemed to have made the best video win two Holmfirth picnic tables and two Ilkley seats.

A lot of schools expressed an interest in making videos, but many have had trouble completing the videos by the original closing date. Therefore, we have extended the closing date of the competition to the end of the autumn term 2009, and will make a decision over the Christmas holidays.

In the meantime, take a look at a couple of entries already in, and let us know what you think.

Avoid the "Rain Tax"

2009-10-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

Included in every water bill is a surface water drainage charge. It is a fee levied to pay for the collection and treatment of rainwater that falls onto their car parks, drives, roofs and other impermeable surfaces, and runs off into the sewers. It has been dubbed the "Rain Tax".

This bill is significantly bigger for businesses than domestic customers, as businesses tend to have car parks/large areas of concreted land and thus have a large amount of surface water runoff. I was speaking to a customer who owns a small business who has had a bill of over £1000 out of the blue from the water company at the worst possible time. The charge is capped at £150,000 per year for massive companies such as Tesco with huge expanses of car parks.

This tax is proving very unpopular, especially as water companies are now charging community, volunteer and religious groups as if they were businesses, adding an estimated £100 million onto their bills (although a concerted lobbying campaign against the charges has forced the government to intervene on behalf of these organisations). The manner in which the water companies calculate the charge is also a bone of contention, making estimates of surface area using Google Earth, often not distinguishing between permeable and non-permeable surfaces making it the responsibility of the customer to challenge their assessment. The massive differences in charges from water company to water company add to the feeling that this charge is unfair and often arbitary.

However, in the wake of the 2007 floods (where two thirds of the properties affected were flooded due to surface water runoff overloading drainage systems) and with the spectre of climate change looming large, I feel the charge is a necessary evil, helping ensure the future viability of our national infrastructure.

Not only does the tax cover the charges of the water companies (over £600 million per year), allowing them to increase drainage capacity to mitigate against flash floods, it is also been implemented as a way to drive businesses to replace unsustainable impermeable hard standing with water permeable alternatives. Sadly, often the most effective way to drive a beneficial change is to target wallets. Documents from the government make this quite clear "Now that charges will be on the basis of the area that drains into public sewers, owners are incentivised to put into place measures to divert rainwater away from drains...such measures include permeable surfaces on car parks (e.g British Recycled Products Hebden 40) ...When these devises are installed the surface water drainage charge would be reduced - to zero if no surface water drains into the drainage system.

Make no mistake, having vast tracts of our nation covered in impermeable concrete and tarmac is a bad thing, and incentivising the installation of permeable surfaces makes sense. My blog on the harmful nature of surface run off and the necessity of SuDS strategies covers the reasons why.

Avoid the Rain Tax

For all those wanting to reduce bills, a switch from concrete and tarmac to water permeable surfaces is required. British Recycled Products has the answer. Hebden 40 is a 100% recycled water permeable ground reinforcement system that can be filled with seeded soil or gravel to create car parks, driveways, paths, emergency access routes etc.
Not only does the use of this permeable paving avoid the need for planning permission in order to add extra offroad parking (since 2007 all impermeable additions require planning permission) it also means both businesses and individuals can reduce or in some cases avoid being charged by water companys for surface runoff.

In addition, using the Hebden 40, eg to create a car park, is significantly cheaper than using tarmac. Our prices are easily the best in the business. Therefore, ensuring your surfaces are water permeable makes environmental and financial sense, as well as diverting waste plastic away from landfill.

For more information on the product, a sample, or a quote, call us on 0845 050 8415 or email info@britishrecycledproducts.co.uk

Recycled edging boards: strong, flexible and eco-friendly

2009-10-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

A zero waste nation

2009-10-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Britain is to move towards becoming a zero waste nation, according to Environment Secretary Hilary Benn in a speech at a meeting of local authorities and the waste industry. Plans were outlined to cut the total amount of UK landfill waste by 50% in the next decade, using 75% of household waste for energy generation or recycling.

The minister stated "We need to rethink how we view and treat waste in the UK. Why do we send valuable items like aluminium and food waste to landfill when we can turn them into new cans and renewable energy? Why use more resources than we need to in manufacturing? We must now work together to build a zero waste nation - where we reduce the resources we use, reuse and recycle all that we can and only landfill things that have absolutely no other use."

An admirable sentiment, and one we very much hope bears fruit. However, it remains to be seen whether this pledge will be backed up by the money and resources needed to prompt such a sea-change in habits in our disposable society.

The incredible news that the government plans to allow nuclear power generators to dump hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste in ordinary landfill sites to reduce on decommissioning costs seems to undermine this commitment to reducing landfilling (or else shows that the government is merely looking to make room for the nuclear waste!)

The need to recycle has never been greater, and real steps need to be made quickly in reducing the amount of valuable material we throw away. WRAP is seeking to engage the business community, prompting many large companies to pledge to halve the amount of waste they send to landfill. We encourage all companies to sign up to this, and make real strides towards increasing the amount of waste that is recycled.

Skyrocketing landfill taxes are providing a real financial incentive for businesses to reduce their waste, as illustrated by the graph below, to add to the moral imperative.
It is heartening to see more and more companies producing products from recycled materials, and the general public is showing a real appetite for environmentally sound products. British Recycled Products is seeing huge growth in organisations and individuals looking for recycled alternatives to traditional materials.

This shift in attitudes will help more than anything to reduce waste. Knowing that tangible, useful products are the result of using recycling services will prompt a greater uptake, killing the old chestnut 'theres no point in recycling, it all ends up in the tip in China' (a sentiment that has really damaged perceptions of recycling, and is very far from the truth).

British Recycled Products sources all the plastic and rubber that goes into our range of lumber, furniture, ground reinforcement etc from British waste, diverting it from landfill. We are doing our part to bring about a zero waste nation, along with many others. But with investment, political will and a shift in buying patterns, so much more can be done.

British Recycled Products win Best Recycling Initiative award

2009-10-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce victory at the Community and Environment Awards 2009, winning 'Best Recycling Initiative' at the award ceremony at Berties in Elland last night.

It was a fantastic event, thoroughly enjoyed by the British Recycled Products team. Winning the award in such a competitive category, against such strong opposition, was the icing on the cake.

Director Jason Elliott (pictured above) said "When we were nominated it appeared as if we were outsiders for the award, so I was surprised and delighted in equal measure when i heard them call out our name. It is a tribute to all the hard work put in by our team over the last 12 months. This award illustrates that the profile of recycled products is growing, and we are determined to continue to help increase the amount of plastic diverted from landfill"

This award is a great validation of our efforts to open up new markets for recycled products, and will spur us on to further success.

For anyone who is interested, the Halifax Courier will have a 12 page awards night special pull-out free with the paper on Monday.

Opportunity to become a distributor

2009-10-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

British Recycled Products is currently establishing a network of distributors to sell Hebden 40 and recycled plastic lumber direct to the public and local tradesmen.

This will create more opportunity for the general public to buy recycled products made from British waste. Due to the reduced transportation, these products are more cost effective, increasing the potential of the domestic market for recycled products.

We have been working successfully with a small number of distributors over the last year, and are keen to expand this network to cover all areas of the country, with excellent terms for partners interested in this exciting opportunity.

If you are interested in acting as a distributor, please contact Rachel Hammond on 0845 050 8415 or email rh@britishrecycled.com to discuss the possibilities available.

British Recycled Products nominated for New Business award

2009-10-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

Following on from yesterdays blog, we here at British Recycled Products are delighted to have been nominated for another award by the Halifax Courier.

We have been nominated for the New Business award at the Halifax Courier Business Awards 2009. It is great for our young company to receive this recognition, and are all looking forward to attending.

British Recycled Products shortlisted for environmental award

2009-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to have been nominated in the catagory of Best Recycling Initiative for the Halifax Evening Courier Community and Environment Awards 2009.

The awards dinner and ceremony takes place at Berties Banqueting Rooms in Elland on Thursday 15th October, and we hope to bring home something for the mantelpiece!

Coming Soon

2009-10-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

British Recycled Products are always looking for useful new products to expand our range, and thought we would share some pictures of products that we will be offering in the not-too-distant future.

To be the first to know when they go on sale, sign up to our mailing list by filling out the fields on the left hand side of our website

The following products are currently under development:

Kerbing

I-Bars

Sea Defence

Cable Troughs

A Price Comparison

2009-10-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

We here at British Recycled Products are on a mission to widen the market for recycled products, looking to make every purchasing department, every government project and every individual consumer aware of the massive benefits, both financial and environmental, of reusing the material we have.

Part of how we do this is with our pricing, we make sure that we are the cheapest around.

For example, compare the prices for our 100% recycled plastic bollards on the British Recycled Products price list here, with the prices advertised by a rival company here

As our rivals appear to be over three times more expensive on this product, i'm sure you'll agree that there is no comparison!

Another example is our Hebden 40 eco-paver, our best selling product. Our prices start at £13 per m2 and go down significantly with quantity. Compare this with the pricing for a rival product here.

Finally, please compare the pricing for our range of outdoor furniture with our rivals, here for example. Our seats and benches, as well as our seats with planters, are over £100 cheaper each, a massive saving!

Rather than put our own prices up in response, British Recycled Products will continue to offer incredible value for money, in order to get recycled products out there on a mass scale. Get in touch for a quote

The Green Awards economic barriers to entry

2009-09-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

I have just been sent a Facebook group email encouraging us to enter the Green Awards from someone whose opinion I respect.

She wrote:

Hi All!

If you run a green business then we highly recommend that you enter the Green Awards 2009.

Green Awards are looking for the best examples of 'Green marketing', 'Ethical advertising' and 'Sustainability communications' from the past 12 months.

There are 16 different categories.

Rt Hon Lord Smith of Finsbury Chairman of both the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) & Chairman, The Environment Agency commented, “The need to care for our planet, husband our resources wisely, and sustain our environment is becoming ever more urgent and important. These awards help to put that cause at the very heart of our creative economy. They will help us to aim higher. They will both reward and encourage best practice; and as a result I give them the warmest of possible welcomes.”

Deadline for entries is 25th SEPTEMBER!

Best of Luck!!

Interest whetted, I duly visited the site where I discovered that the entry fee was £225 plus VAT.

Ouch!

A bit much for most of the genuinely "green" businesses I know, particularly with the economy in its current shape, so I dug a little deeper to see who had entered, or at least won, the Green Awards previously....

Nokia, Cadbury, United Utilities, Defra, Punch Taverns, Coca Cola GB, Capital Radio, Transport for London, BSkyB, Marks & Spencer and Honda are all previous winners so I thought it best to phone the organisers to discover whether there was a deliberate policy of excluding small businesses.

"Not so" said Ian Patton of the Green Awards, explaining that the event was self-funding as sponsorship was hard to come by this year.

" I would like to lower the entry price and fully accept that this [the current price] will prevent some very good companies entering. We want social and economic equity for everyone, so what we're looking for is one big sponsor for next year so that we can substanially reduce the cost of entry, creating a more level playing field. We are trying to go global with the awards and there's no way currently that companies in, say, Africa can afford to enter at the moment."

You're absolutely right Ian. But maybe one of your previous winners, like Cadbury for example, (who just got a massive windfall due to the increased share price resulting from the failed Kraft takeover bid) could pick up the tab and make the event truly egalitarian.

We'll be watching.