Toughsheet’s £6.1 million injection to boost capacity to 750,000m2 of construction membranes

Thanks to an injection of £6.1 million, the UK’s largest producer of damp-proof membranes is increasing its capacity to 750,000m2 of construction membranes per year. Toughsheet’s membrane is manufactured from 100 per cent recycled material.

The company, which is based in Bolton, transforms plastic packaging waste such as HDPE and LDPE into 100 per cent recycled damp-proof membrane. The new, high-tech equipment will see the company’s recycling of ethylene-based plastics rise by 66 per cent. 

Managing Director at Toughsheet, Doug Mercer, said: “At a time of uncertainty for many, we are optimistic about the future. This investment is an important step in ensuring that we maintain a strong UK market for manufacture. It will also help to build a more sustainable economy, making sure that UK waste packaging stays in the UK, where it can be properly recycled. The new machines are also more carbon-friendly. They provide a 30 per cent saving on the energy needed for recycling.”

The equipment is in the commissioning stage, and expected to be fully up and running by January 2022. The company will also employ an extra 26 employees, to join its existing staff of 74.

The funding was provided through the PRN (Packaging Recovery Note) system, which supports waste reprocessors in order to increase UK recycling capacity. Ben Richardson, Procurement Director at Reconomy Group company Valpak, which worked with Mercers to secure the funding through a long-term contract to supply PRNs, said: “This is exactly the kind of investment we need to ensure that UK packaging waste is securely recycled on these shores. With the new equipment in place, Toughsheet will be processing up to 50,000 tonnes of waste plastics every year. As a manufacturer as well as a recycling business, it also offers additional circularity by guaranteeing a market for the material recycled.”

The new system shreds ethylene-based plastics waste, such as HDPE and LDPE, before heating it until it becomes a liquid. It is then filtered, pelletised and moulded to produce Toughsheet’s damp-proof membrane.

Ends

Editors notes

·      Mercers was founded over 50 years ago, and began recycling plastics in the 1980s. Over the last 15 years, the company has undergone rapid expansion.

·      Mercer’s sister company, Toughsheet, is the UK’s largest producer of damp-proof membrane. The membrane is 100 per cent recycled, manufactured from waste plastics.

·      Valpak’s mission is to create a sustainable, waste-free world. We are driven, not by today. We are driven by tomorrow.

·      We help our clients to reduce waste and recycle more, continually innovating and using leading data science and expertise to inspire businesses, help push ourselves – and our industry – forward. We don’t just show our customers how to navigate waste regulations; we help them become more sustainable, through our ever-increasing capabilities and pioneering innovations.

·      Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. We work with major names, such as J Sainsbury’s, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 2,000 businesses. In 2017, it celebrated its 20th anniversary.

·      Valpak is a Reconomy Group company. Reconomy is the UK’s largest provider of outsourced resource management and recycling services. It works with customers of all sizes across industry sectors, using a technology-enabled, value-added approach to help businesses reach its sustainability goals. Following the acquisitions of Noventiz and RLG in Germany in 2020, adding further specialism in compliance and international product returns, the Reconomy Group’s aim is to become the leading global provider of services to drive the circular economy.

·      Valpak services include:

o   Compliance under Waste Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives.

o   Data insights.

o   International compliance.

o   Recycling services (total waste management options and solutions for niche materials).

o   Consultancy.

o   Accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill. 

·      Valpak invests in pioneering systems and expertise which enable its customers to analyse, assess and improve product design. The Product Data Hub, Insight Platform and dedicated teams work together to drive change.