Toughsheet receives £6.1m to dramatically bolster construction membrane capacity
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November 11, 2021
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, which is based in Bolton, transforms plastic packaging waste such as HDPE and LDPE into 100 percent recycled damp-proof membrane. The new, high-tech equipment will see the company’s recycling of ethylene-based plastics rise by 66 percent.
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 percent 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.
