Berry Global is partnering with SuDSPlanter Ltd to incorporate Plaswood recycled plastic lumber into the SuDSPlanter rain garden, a sustainable drainage system that disconnects roof water from sewers in urban environments by capturing rainwater run-off from domestic, commercial, and industrial roofs.
This slows the flow of rainwater into sewers whilst providing green foliage and planting among increasingly hard landscaped areas.
SuDSPlanter solutions help reduce the loss of permeable landscapes, which has led to high peak flows of water and serious flooding. Capturing the rainwater prevents it from flowing immediately into drains and sewers. Instead, the water is filtered, cleaned, stored, and slowly released from the SuDSPlanter units.
As part of SuDSPlanter’s environmental ethos, all materials for its rain gardens are produced entirely from recycled or recyclable materials, including Plaswood recyclable lumber manufactured from recycled plastic from the waste stream. In addition, SuDSPlanter recycles all its packaging and waste offcuts to provide second life materials for future SuDSPlanter units.
Plaswood materials are washed, shredded, blended, melted, and extruded into timber profiles, with rigorous quality checks at every stage of the remanufacturing process. Just as important, Plaswood is weather resistant, moisture repellent, and durable, reducing maintenance costs compared to more traditional materials by eliminating the need for painting, staining, or preserving.
“Our SuDSPlanter is a multi-functional solution, not just reducing flood risks but also providing an attractive, self-sufficient, low maintenance planting space to enhance local environments, as well as acting as an education tool for schools and community spaces,” said Lorna Davis, Director and Co-Founder of SuDSPlanter Ltd.
“Sustainability underscores everything that we do, both the products that we manufacture and the way they work with our environment. Plaswood has exactly the same values, and working in partnership with them, we have been able to create a high-quality planter that delivers on both aesthetic and sustainability requirements.”
Plaswood recycled plastic supports Berry’s ongoing sustainability strategy and commitment to develop solutions that align with customers’ and suppliers’ sustainability objectives.
“This partnership is helping to bring back green habitats and new green spaces to our built-up areas, whilst managing the runoff rainwater, to help to create a more diverse environment," said Lorcan Mekitarian, Sales Director for Berry Global’s Flexibles division.
“With our positioning focused on reintroducing planting areas into developed spaces through our extensive range of planters and raised beds, we are proud to partner with SuDSPlanter Ltd to expand the reach of our joint innovative solution to the market.”
