Against stiff competition from businesses across the South West and South Wales, Plymouth-based Manuplas – an Advanced Insulation company specialising in the design, engineering and manufacture of polymer solutions for the marine and offshore sectors – has won the prestigious regional Environmental Efficiency Award at this year’s EEF/Aldermore Future Manufacturing Awards.
The regional award win means Manuplas will now be nominated for a national award, which will be announced at a gala reception being held in London in April.
Commenting for Manuplas, general manager Steve Ward says: “It is great to see that our in-house recycling project, which has seen the company reduce its impact on the environment by recycling an impressive 38-tonnes of lightweight Polyethylene Foam and Expanded Polystyrene Foam, has been recognised by such a prestigious regional award. We are delighted with the win and looking forward to the national awards in April.”
The EEF/Aldermore Environmental Efficiency Award has been developed to recognise those companies that have done the most to improve environmental performance, for example through improvements in the areas of resources, waste, energy, carbon, water and other emissions and/or more generally improving operational efficiency.
As Manuplas research and development manager David Hamnett explains: “The grade of foam used is not recyclable by traditional methods so, with financial support from Business Link, we investigated available recycling options. We also began looking for organisations that could put the recycled material to good use and discovered opportunities at both Dartmoor and Paignton Zoos.
He adds that the company purchased a compactor with the intention of significantly reducing the volume of foam waste going to landfill and has, since recycling operations began in 2011, completely eliminated this waste stream. It also reduced the associated high transportation and disposal fees that were costing Manuplas nearly £10,000 a year.
Used in the manufacture of products for the marine, offshore oil & gas, renewables and leisure industries, Manuplas successfully recycled approximately 2,000 cubic metres (38 tonnes, or the equivalent of more than ten of ‘Duchess’ – the female African elephant at Paignton Zoo!) of lightweight foam between January 2012 and March 2014. The recycling process – which shreds the waste foam and compacts it to remove air content – produces 300 millimetre square logs that are cut into one-metre lengths.
When Manuplas realised what the recycling process was capable of, they contacted local organisations to ask if the compacted foam logs (which do not rot and require no on-going treatment) would be useful.
“Happily, having received a positive response from Paignton Zoo, Manuplas subsequently donated a significant number of the compacted logs for landscaping and animal enclosure projects!” Reports David.
The donation has saved Paignton Zoo a considerable sum of money and, instead of the mundane appearance of the previously used traditional timber structures, the Manuplas logs have created a visually striking look that is more in keeping with the Zoo’s natural environments.
Summarising for Westfield Health – the Award sponsor – chief executive Jill Davies says: “Congratulations to Manuplas on their well-deserved success. Manufacturing is an important part of the UK economy and companies that are constantly looking to improve their performance and grow must be supported and recognised for their efforts.”
For further information on its foam products or foam recycling projects, call Manuplas on +44 (0)1752 771740, email sales@manuplas.co.uk or visit www.manuplas.co.uk.
