Protomax transforms student plastic waste into new school furniture

Protomax has transformed plastic waste gathered by students at The Mead School (Wingfield) into Storm Board.

The company says as a hard-wearing and weather-proof material, which, at the end of its use, is 100 per cent recyclable, Storm Board it a cost-effective and durable alternative to MDF, chipboard or plywood.

The project is part of a pilot schools programme introduced by Protomax to provide practical education on recycling plastics.

Protomax is matching the price of the MDF furniture with tables and benches made by the company with plastic waste collected by the pupils, which can all be recycled at the end of its life.

“We wanted to show the pupils that the material they gathered could be made into a physical product, and that they could have a say in what that product would be,” said Nick Stillwell, founder of Frome-based Protomax.

“We needed to explain to the youngsters that a plastic bottle top is not made into another plastic bottle top, but another useful product.”

Rob Cunningham, deputy head teacher at The Mead School, said: “We strongly believe that educating the children about recycling will have a huge impact on sustainability in the future.”