In 2016, world plastics production totalled around 335 million metric tons, that is about as heavy as 150 rhinoceroses. Roughly half of annual plastic production is destined for a single-use product. Melba Swintex prides itself in reusing as much of the waste created at the factory as possible. Over the years they have managed to implement recycling into their everyday operating procedure.

Melba Swintex is the world’s leading manufacturer of temporary traffic management products. With a range that complies with all national and international standards. Melba Swintex is proud of its record in designing and producing innovative products to meet industry standards. The company perform several manufacturing processes that include compression moulding, blow moulding, injection moulding, rotational moulding, the manufacture of reflective sheeting, and processes which recycle a variety of waste plastics into new products. Melba Swintex recycles 10,000 tonnes of material in the manufacturing of our products. They have also built their reputation on the quality of their products and services, which our customers have come to expect. September hosts Recycle Week and we believe this is the perfect time to talk about Melba Swintex’s Closed Loop Recycling scheme where they reuse, regrind, remould, and repack materials to make products that are manufactured with 100% recycled materials including signs, 1PC cones and bases.

End of Life Programme

All of Melba Swintex’s products are either manufactured from recycled material, or contain recycled material in some form, they have also implemented a complete ban on single use plastics. Cone Bases, Barrier Feet, Q-Signs, and Speed Ramps are just some of the products that are manufactured from recycled material. As so much recycled material is used by them, they process post-consumer waste. This can range from Site banners, Carpet tiles and even Plant pots. This process allows them to recycle any of their products at the end of their life cycle, which also enables customers to return products or make use Melba Swintex’s collection service for any end-of-life products. Pallets of products are returned to the factory where they are cleaned, reground, and manufactured back into cone bases, fence bases, and various other products. This gives a true closed loop recyclingoption for all our customers.

Local customers currently return products to Melba; they arrange a day for them to deliver the goods on pallets, and then upon arrival, recycle them. All products returned get shredded into chipped material and sent back into production to make a brand-new product. Local customers to Manchester have, over a period of 12 months, returned 6950 2 metre Barriers, 3200 plastic signs, and 7880 Road Cones. These products in the past would normally have been sent to

landfill.  All manufacturing machinery has its own individual shredder situated next to it. This enables them to implement a strict Quality Control system that identifies any irregularities in any products that are manufactured, so that they can be chipped back into raw material and used again in the next moulding process.

When sign faces or reflective strips are applied on to the barriers, this generates waste material which is shredded and put into the plastic material waste to be manufactured into cone bases or similar products. This also applies to the plastic bags that the master material is delivered in. It is their policy to minimize adverse environmental impacts from their operations by conserving natural

resources and reducing, minimising, or eliminating the generation and release of pollutants to the environment. They conduct their operations in conformance with, or to exceed, all applicable environmental laws and regulations by which we are bound. The only two sources of waste that leave the Melba Swintex site are either confidential paperwork, which is shredded and recycled, or food waste which is generated by employees.

Environmental Policy Statement

Melba Swintex specialises in the manufacturing of first and second use plastics, with a solid commitment to the environment, and a companywide commitment to reducing their carbon footprint. It is the policy of Melba Swintex to:

• Conduct their operations in conformance with, or to exceed, all applicable environmental laws

and regulations by which they are bound.

• Consider environmental impact in business decisions and work with their suppliers, contractors, and customers to address mutual environmental issues.

• Minimise adverse environmental impacts from their operations by conversing natural resources

and reducing, minimising, or eliminating the generation and release of pollutants into the

environment.

• Include environmental responsibilities and innovation as relevant factors in employment, retention

and performance decisions.

• Maintain open and constructive relationships with regulatory agencies, public officials, and

environmental groups.

Melba Swintex periodically set objectives and targets to evaluate their products and processes to find and implement methods for continual improvements and preventions of pollution. These of which include:

• Minimising resources that are used.

• Reducing and eliminating, where possible, all discharges to lands, water, air, and the living

environment.

• Handle all materials in a responsible and safe manner to minimise risk to health and the

environment.

Melba Swintex achieves this through vigorous implementation of an environment management system, actively encouraging employees and communicating all policies to all interested parties, as well as continuous reviewal of activities with the aim of ongoing improvement. From 2019, Melba Swintex have provided their support to UK Woodland creation with recognition of their CO2 emissions from deliveries of product globally. The woodland creation project represents the conversion of high intensity arable land into sustainable forestry. This provides significant local habitat, flooding, and water quality benefits alongside carbon capture. This activity creates a balance in CO2 emissions resulting in all deliveries to be completely carbon neutral, with an ongoing plan to carbon neutral site-wide by 2027.