Waste products

Impact Laboratories has won a Scottish Government SMART award to explore the use of varied waste materials in the development of commercial fibre and plastic composite materials.

The Grangemouth-based company is a BP Chemicals spin-off with expertise in the research and development of plastics waste management. The SMART-funded research is expected to help create a range of value-added products from unsorted consumer waste.

Rob Meek, Impact chief executive, said: ‘The new sciences of environmental and sustainable materials are a very important part of what we do here at Impact. We all use plastic – day to day – and the time for its effective and responsible waste management is now. This new SMART award gives us a pioneering role in helping to make mixed plastics recycling really happen. If successful, it will open up doors and markets for the materials and for recycling technology worldwide.’

The main markets are likely to be in timber replacement, particularly in non-structural applications such as decking, and for all-weather purposes such as marina developments.