Tarmac’s Aberthaw cement plant is playing an important role in a UK first for sustainable plastic packaging. Tarmac has become the first major cement manufacturer in the UK to move to 50 per cent recycled plastic in its packaging with the rollout of new all-weather, fully recyclable bags.
Products manufactured at the company’s Aberthaw cement plant packaging facilities (and also at its sites in Scotland and Essex) are all now in production with the new bag which offers rip, tear and puncture resistance, as well as providing essential protection against rain and water damage.
Tarmac’s new packaging also features clearer recycling labelling and information to encourage customers to ‘empty, rinse, recycle’ and dispose of the packaging responsibly. The company estimates that the roll out across all bagged cement products will result in millions of bags switching to its newer, more sustainable solutions.
Stuart Escott, Aberthaw’s cement plant manager said: “The team here at Aberthaw is proud to have played its part in the development and launch of these new ‘eco bags’. We are continually looking for ways to increase the sustainability of our operations from cement-making, right through to transport and the products themselves.
“These bags make a significant contribution to Tarmac’s sustainability goals. At the same time, they offer our packed product customers the weatherproof and robust packaging they look for. And by reinforcing the options to reuse and recycle the bags, we are also promoting the importance of the circular economy for avoiding waste where possible.”
The move follows close collaboration between a number of bag manufacturers to produce and trial the new packaging over the last two years, with ambitions to further increase the sustainability credentials of bags in the future.