EcoSheet, the groundbreaking plywood replacement board made entirely from recycled waste plastic, is helping retailers meet their sustainable construction and waste reduction commitments by being trialled in a growing number of supermarket and retail construction projects.
The latest of such trials at Asda in Clapham Junction and Marks & Spencer in Bath, which saw EcoSheet being used by leading South West England and South Wales construction company ISG Pearce for external site hoardings, have proven to be a great success operationally, commercially and environmentally.
The trials are further evidence that leading retailers are committing more and more to sustainable construction, something that is now expected by customers and shareholders alike. In March this year, Marks & Spencer pledged to 'build Plan A into every aspect of our construction programme'; from increasing the number of 'eco' stores and trialling new technologies including 100% recyclable materials, to introducing biodiversity audits and carbon managers for major construction projects. It also promised to send no construction waste to landfill and reduce construction waste overall by 50% by 2015. Supermarkets like Asda and Tesco have also made similar moves.
EcoSheet offers constructors environmental as well as commercial benefits in that it is made entirely from recycled waste plastic taken from the UK waste stream, and at end of life each board is entirely recyclable. Using cutting-edge new technology, the natural characteristics of polymer are utilised to manufacture hard-wearing, smooth-faced, versatile boards suitable for a variety of applications in construction and beyond.
Peter Ball, sales director for 2K Manufacturing which produces Ecosheet explains: "EcoSheet is engineered to perform as an alternative to imported plywood, or to virgin plastic panels, but whilst plywood is often not from a sustainable source and costs companies huge amounts to landfill, EcoSheet is fully recyclable at end-of-life, thereby offering a complete closed-loop solution for customers.
"For that reason, we are increasingly working with construction companies on behalf of big retailers because of their corporate commitments to more sustainable construction practice. What's more, in the future, EcoSheet could even be used by supermarkets for signage because of the usability and environmental benefit it offers. The opportunities for EcoSheet are endless."
Commenting on the recent M&S and Asda trials, ISG Pearce's Craig Welmers said: "We have been extremely pleased with the way EcoSheet has performed as external hoardings in both the Asda Clapham Junction and M&S Bath projects. We are now looking to roll it out to more sites as internal hoardings as well as external use."