UK company recognised at European Best Recycled Plastic Product Awards

A UK company has been awarded third place at this year’s Best Recycled Plastic product 2015.

The ‘Eco Potagator’, an ecological growing pot manufactured by UK based ashortwalk Ltd from post-consumer plastic packaging was recognised during awards ceremony at the recently held Identiplast Congress in Rome on 29th April 2015.

The innovative design incorporates both a propagator to support seedlings in the early stages of growth and transforms into a plant pot when it outgrows the propagator. The pots are reusable and long lasting, therefore reducing waste. The product is made from 100 percent yoghurt pots and recycled CD cases.

“It is fantastic for our product to be recognised by this award and know there will be a great and exciting future for plastics recycling,” said a representative from ashortwalk.

Backed by the European Association of Plastics Recycling and Recovery Organisations (EPRO), and supporting organisations, the overall winner of the award was the HÅG Capisco office chair by Scandinavian Business Seating.

“The HÅG Capisco chair is our best seller with sales of 46 000 chairs/year. It is made of 50 percent recycled materials and the plastic parts are manufactured from 100 percent recycled PP. It has also been designed to be dismantled easily making it easy to separate the different parts and materials for repair or recycling,” explained Atle Thiis-Messel of Scandinavian Business Seating.

All 22 entries to this award, including 12 entries from the UK, showed a wide variety of viable applications for recycled plastics. Stuart Foster from UK-based recycling association, RECOUP, which supported the awards, said: “Since 2009, the competition has seen nearly 180 entries from 25 countries and witnessed an increased range of applications for recycled plastic.

“Increasing demand for recycled materials is critical to the success of plastic recycling, and by supporting these awards it is hoped that the potential is further demonstrated to all plastic product manufacturers. We are also really pleased to see a strong showing from UK companies for the second year running, and congratulations to ashortwalk for their fantastic Ecopotagator product.”