The manufacturer of an innovative recycled plastic plywood is set to double production at its plant in Luton to meet growing demand for its product from the agricultural sector.
2K Manufacturing, which has pioneered the 100 per cent
recycled plastic plywood alternative
Ecosheet, said it was set to double
production of the board to 1300 items per week from early next year. The move is in response to increased demand from the farming industry, which is using the plywood for housing a range of livestock including pigs, horses and chickens, the company said. Major agricultural merchants now stocking EcoSheet include CPF, CFF, Wynnstay and Bridgmans.
"EcoSheet […] is longer lasting [than plywood] and can be recycled again and again, making it the obvious solution for farmers both environmentally and economically," said Peter Ball from 2K Manufacturing.
2K, which first launched in 2007, has seen most of its order to date come from the construction sector, with companies such as Lovell and Wates using Ecosheet in their projects. But farmers are now turning to the product because of its multiple applications and hygiene benefits.
"Farmers are increasingly looking for products to give longer service life to keep costs down. When comparing EcoSheet to plywood, its lifespan makes it very cost effective, plus the benefits of being able to wash down and disinfect compared to wood which can harbour bacteria and disease makes EcoSheet an attractive product," Charlie Hughes, senior product manager in Wynnstay Group’s retail division, said.
Ecosheet is made from recycled
waste mixed plastics and is itself 100 per cent recyclable at the end of life. The technology takes a variety of mixed waste plastic and through a unique process – Powder Impression Moulding – turns it into a versatile and strong plastic composite material.
Diverting waste from landfill2K says it provides a solution for the issue of five million tonnes of waste plastic produced each year, 80 per cent of which goes to landfill. Over 25 million plywood sheets are used a year in the UK that are not recyclable and have to be landfilled as waste.
Colin Bucknell from Devon, an animal housing manufacturer, is using EcoSheet in his chicken arcs. He said: "Whereas plywood rots easily, EcoSheet doesn’t and it is easier to jet wash clean, making it more disease resistant. This is certainly true in the case of red mite, which has really been cut down as a result of using EcoSheet."
Production plans
Currently, 2K has just one production line at its plant in Luton, but it said it plans to install new machinery at the plant in spring 2012 that will allow it to double production again. Longer-term, the company is looking to quadruple production at the plant to include four production lines that will enable it to produce 750,000 EcoSheets each year, and to eventually establish 11 plants across the country, giving it the capacity to produce four million EcoSheets a year.
2K has secured equity funding from Foresight Group, a leading investor in green investments, and debt financing from KBC Bank, for the expansion.
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