Ecosheet - Environmental Alternative to Plywood

Whilst listening to a Radio 4 podcast on the lack of lending by banks to SMEs, I came across the story of a firm called 2K Manufacturing. The broadcast was about the firm's difficulty in securing a loan from a major UK bank in order to expand the production of their Ecosheet product; It was this Ecosheet that really caught my attention.

2K Manufacturing's Ecosheet is an environmentally-friendly alternative to plywood. By using low-grade post-consumer waste plastic products 2K are not only keeping this waste from the incinerator or land-fill but also reducing the need for imported plywood.

Mainly used in building & construction, hoarding etc Ecosheet has many other advantages over plywood:

  • Generally lighter than plywood
  • As strong as plywood
  • Similar cost to plywood
  • Ecosheet is impervious to rain & damp so it can be stored outdoors, weathers really well and can be jet-washed!
  • It is made in standard sizes
  • Both sides of Ecosheet are "A" faces (whereas plywood has just one)
  • Ecosheet can be recycled at the end of its own useful life
  • Ergo it is a totally sustainable solution

Just take a look at Ecosheet around the refurbishment of Marks & Spencer in Stall Street, Bath; The hoardings have been vinyl-wrapped with graphics but the installation is totally weatherproof and sustainable.

So builders, construction firms, civil engineers etc... It's well worth checking out the green alternative to plywood. I hope the big DIY and builders merchants start stocking this product too - it keeps low-grade plastic waste out of land-fill and the incinerator, it stops trees from being cut to supply demand for plywood and it is good for the environment and 2K Manufacturing, a UK small business.

Comments

I agree on all of the above. Lets hope that the Euro can ride out the storm building in Ireland and Portugal and get back to more solid foundations.

To be honest the underlying fundamentals of the banking system need to be recycled. There's still too much liquidity in the wrong places. Bankers are clever and systems can still be gamed.

It's the way of things just now and unavoidable. Three years ago you could borrow crazy amounts for projects without solid foundations or clear goals.

Ecosheet is a very exciting product as the manufacturing process uses some quite difficult to recycle materials. I work with Solway Recycling and we see many uses in the agricultural industry and are going to help Ecosheet develop this market.

Lets hope sales growth can spur on expansion sooner rather than later.

I think lending has reached a point where it needs to be more sustainable, hence the banks are trying to fill their battle chests again, this time with ready cash. It's a result of financial legislation requiring them to have a greater proportion of liquid assets, which makes sense. Unfortunately bankers seem to still be getting good bonuses whilst lending to small businesses is still slow.

I'm sure we'll all find new innovative ways to do business in different circumstances but let's hope the business landscape changes in 2011 with a return to new construction projects and use of ecosheet.