AT SYNSEAL “ZERO” NOW MEANS “HERO”
10th July 2012

Synseal Extrusions has achieved its ambitious target of ‘zero waste to landfill’ making it one of the most environmentally friendly companies in the industry.
The ‘zero waste to landfill’ objective was established with the aim of reducing the company’s overall environmental impact, and strengthening its audited ISO 14001 certification. It was a tall order for a high volume PVC-U extrusion company, due to the nature and variety of waste produced on site.

Synseal set out to tackle this daunting challenge and ensure that all operational (production and manufacturing waste) and canteen waste was diverted away from landfill.
As well as impacting more lightly on the environment, another benefit of reducing waste is eliminating waste disposal cost, and not throwing away valuable materials. For example, PVC-U and aluminium off-cuts can be recycled to generate revenue for Synseal, while keeping skip costs down.

Synseal Extrusions now ensures that all waste produced on the 35-acre manufacturing site at Huthwaite is sent for recycling where recycling routes exist. Non-recyclable waste is then disposed of through ‘energy from waste’ recovery (incineration) eliminating the need for landfill. Part of this waste management procedure involved raising employee awareness and changing working practices.

As well as 264 tonnes of PVC waste that was diverted from landfill, 284 tonnes of plastic, wood, cardboard, aluminium, mixed recyclables (including drinks cans and plastic bottles), polypropylene and mixed metal were recycled at Synseal over a six-month period.

“We take our environmental responsibilities seriously so this was a natural development of our recycling strategy,” Glenn Evans, Health, Safety & Environmental Manager at Synseal, said. “Environmental credentials are, more than ever, significant qualifying factors when tendering for new business.
“Through achieving ‘zero waste to landfill’, Synseal Extrusions will reduce its annualised total waste management bill by 28%.

“Our next environmental focus will be to further reduce the amount of packaging waste produced internally during the manufacturing process. Work is also being completed to substantially reduce our electricity usage on site, as well as increasing the use of recycled PVC-U through product innovation.”

Picture shows: Glenn Evans (HS&E Manger) and Sarah Chambers (H&SE Co-ordinator) have led the team to achieve “zero waste to landfill” at Synseal.