Sustainable success
Far from seeing plastics as the enemy of the environment, James Stanton,
Commercial Manager, Distrupol argues that conscientious use of these
materials can contribute to a sustainable future.
The ‘Attenborough effect’ has
continued to cause shockwaves
around the world following
the 2017 documentary ‘Blue
Planet II’. Heart-breaking footage,
considerable statistics and stark
messaging brought to light the
environmental impact of the
irresponsible use and disposal of
plastic. Since then, we’ve seen
a huge increase in the public
awareness of plastic, unfortunately
very negative for the most part.
Whilst it’s undeniable that the
irresponsible disposal of plastic
into our oceans is very damaging to
marine ecosystems and our wider
environment, the conscientious
use of plastic also contributes to a
sustainable future in a magnitude of
ways.
In our industry, we all need
polymer solutions that can be
applied sustainably. This means
reduced emissions, a reduced
impact on the environment (including
oceans), reduced polymer waste
and improved recyclability and
reusability.
Distrupol and sustainability
At Distrupol, we recognise the
importance of acting responsibly and
sustainably, especially considering
our industry. We have developed
a three-pronged approach to
sustainable business and reducing
our environmental impact. This
comprehensive method is to ensure
we are able to act sustainably as
a business, whilst also positively
impacting the sustainability of our
customers and their products. We
take heed and direction from both
government policies and industry
initiatives and keep updated with
sustainability project developments
to guarantee we are at the forefront
of sustainable business.
Our position on sustainability
We work tirelessly to ensure our
business processes are optimised
and ‘best practices’ are as efficient
and effective as possible to reduce
our impact on the environment and
maximise our sustainability efforts.
From investing in communications
and technology to reduce the need
for travel, to investing in smart
warehousing and logistics, and of
course using resources and energy
efficiently. Distrupol prioritises
safety and sustainability in every
aspect of what we do.
Operation Clean Sweep® is an
international initiative to reduce
plastic pellet loss to the environment,
led by the British Plastics Federation
in the UK. The initiative’s aim is
to ensure that the plastic pellets,
flakes and powders that go through
manufacturing facilities are handled
with care and do not end up in our
oceans. Distrupol’s commitment to
Operation Clean Sweep® means
that we adhere to best practices and
implement systems to reduce plastic
pellet loss throughout our supply
chain.
A sustainable portfolio
The last 18 months have seen a real
drive and focus on working with
new and existing supply partners to
develop a more sustainable portfolio
of polymer materials. Distrupol work
with a range of supply partners who
incorporate recycled, renewablysourced
and environmentally-friendly
polymer materials in their portfolios.
These include, but not limited to,
DuPont™, Chi Mei, INEOS, Biffa®
Polymers and H. J. Enthoven.
We are proud to include Polyvinyl
Alcohol (PVOH) in our innovative
portfolio. PVOH has been around for
many years but, in relatively recent
times, new formulations have been
developed to make them not only
extrudable into polymer film, but also
convertible by techniques such as
injection moulding.
PVOH, to touch and feel, can be as
flexible as Low Density Polyethylene
(LDPE) or as rigid as Polypropylene.
(PP). Crucially, all formulations
completely dissolve in water. Current
applications include; disposables,
packaging and medical products with
the following available attributes:
hot and cold water dissolve,
rapid and slow dissolve and clean
chemistry. This can help to keep our
oceans cleaner and safer.
As well as this, we have recently
launched an extremely exciting
new material: Distrupol Pre-CW
(pre-consumer waste). Pre-consumer
waste refers to waste derived from
an industrial process where the
plastic item cannot be used again
in the same industrial process. Our
aim is to take this ‘waste’ and give
it another use, therefore reducing
plastic wastage. Distrupol Pre-CW is
a pre-consumer waste polypropylene
material available in both pellet
and flake form. It is polypropylene
reprocessed from the moulds of
contact lenses, and so we are able
to detail the exact grade and source
of the polypropylene (referring to
the manufacturer’s MSDS). It is also
consistent, extremely clean and
natural in format. More details on
this material are being released by
Distrupol imminently.
It’s not just recent additions to
our portfolio that can be considered
as ‘sustainable’. Distrupol’s longstanding
relationship with DuPont
brings expert polymer solutions to
manufacturers and OEMs across the
UK, Ireland and Nordics. The quality,
efficiency and engineering excellence
of DuPont polymers also ultimately
delivers sustainable solutions. Take
Delrin® homopolymer acetal, for
example. When designed correctly,
Delrin could produce a part using
less plastic material, compared to a
standard copolymer acetal. These
parts would be as strong, if not
stronger, and more durable, meaning
there is less of a need to dispose of
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