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A bench made from 120,000 bottles |
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22 Oct 2014, 8:03 PM
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An award-winning Ipswich social enterprise has completed one of its most unusual jobs for a Berkshire special needs school, re-using 120,000 plastic bottles in the process.
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Realise Futures Eco Furniture makes 100% recycled plastic outdoor furniture and play equipment from its factory at The Drift, Ipswich. Realise Futures is part of one of the biggest social enterprises in the East of England.
Staff from Eco Furniture recently put the finishing touches to a plastic bench which runs to 35 metres – more than 100 feet.
Manor Green School in Maidenhead requested the bench, which can seat scores of schoolchildren, to run alongside its building in order to give pupils a place to sit whilst they wait to be collected at the end of the school day.
An amazing total of 120,000 empty plastic bottles went into making the recycled plastic for the seat, which is completely weather-proof and maintenance free. The recycled plastic waste also includes polyethylene bottles, bags and containers which would otherwise be destined for landfill sites.
Director of the East Anglian organisation Jenny Brick said: “We are wondering if this could be some sort of record for the longest seat for a school. It is certainly the longest seat we have ever been asked to make. It came about because last year we supplied some brightly-coloured fencing which meant the children could go out of the classrooms on a sunny day but remain in an area that was secure.
“The seating was put in adjacent to the car park to encourage the children to sit down rather than run around. Surprisingly for such a large area, it only took us three days to produce the seating slats, based on our Bodmin range which utilises moulded legs, and which was installed by the facilities staff at Manor Green. “We estimate that the seating saved 120,000 plastic bottles going into landfill sites,” she added.
The school's facilities manager Francis McDermott said: “We were very pleased to work again with the team at Realise Futures to create a safe, maintenance-free and sustainable bench seat for our pupils on their arrival and departure from school.
“Our previously installed external classroom fencing was a great success with our pupils and staff alike so we had high expectations of our new seating and we were not disappointed.
“Installation was straightforward and the natural tones of the seating meant that it blended in seamlessly with the school frontage. Pupils, staff and visitors find the design very comfortable, and the maintenance-free construction reduces costs, helping us to build for the future and providing good value for many years to come.”
The furniture section of the social enterprise won the British Chamber of Commerce’s Sustainability Award in the East of England last year for its innovative products delivering environmental and social benefits. Unlike many of the mixed plastic equivalents, these products can be produced in a wide range of standard colours including bright primary colours as well as more traditional wood-like finishes.
As well as making outdoor furniture from 100% recycled plastic, the umbrella organisation runs social enterprises growing vegetables for a delivery box service, outdoor catering services - incorporating running seven cafes - growing plants for sale, selling wholefood and offering a healthy snack box service, as well as print, business packaging and fulfilment services and digital signs.
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