Wells Plastics was visited by local dignitaries and innovation partners at the official opening of the Wells Plastics Innovation Centre on Friday the 2nd of December 2022. The Innovation Centre was formally opened by the Mayor of Stone, Councillor Jonathan Powell performing a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Wells plastics innovation centre
Carl Birch, Sales and Marketing Director, provided a history of Wells Plastics to the guests, including the recent growth and expansions, encompassing the new Raw Material Warehouse, Innovation Centre, recent MBO and attaining Gold EcoVadis certification recognising Wells Plastics Corporate Social Responsibility systems, polices and work on sustainability.
It was an opportunity to showcase the work done at Wells Plastics, developing and supplying high performance additive masterbatches to the global polymer industry, offering a wide range of polymer enhancing properties from improved recyclability, processability, UV stability, antimicrobial performance through to enhanced barrier properties to name but a few.
Dr Gary Ogden, Technical Manager, gave a detailed tour of the new facilities, discussing the analytical and physical testing capabilities of the centre. This includes laboratory twin screw extrusion, film blowing and injection moulding, as well as a significant range of analytical instruments and techniques for measuring and characterising polymers and additive systems. Dr Gary Ogden said: ‘We believe that this Innovation Centre over the next few years will provide further development and innovation within the field of additive masterbatches helping processers and users of plastics improve the performance and functionality of these important materials.’
Of significance, were discussions held at the Innovation Centre during the day conveying the value of the products which are developed and manufactured at Wells Plastics and shipped globally, and how these products positively impact sustainability, low carbon economies, efficient transport, healthcare and food security. Carl Birch said: ‘The issue with polymers remains a human behavioural one, not a material one, how we use, reuse, collect, recycle and finally dispose of these essential materials is ultimately down to us.’
Philip Law, Director General of the British Plastics Federation said: ''The BPF's congratulations go to Wells Plastics on the opening of its very well-equipped Innovation Centre. This is a great statement of the technical support provided by Wells Plastics to both the UK plastics industry and in export markets. Wells have nominated circularity as a key innovation theme and this can only help customers meet the challenging targets which are emerging globally''.
The opening of the Innovation Centre was considered a great success and finished with a productive discussion around the positive benefits of polymers.