For enquiries please call +44 (0)1244 677 367Sustainable, durable and attractive, Ecodek is an innovative Wood Polymer Composite (WPC), created to offer a powerful alternative to traditional materials such as timber, for use in a wide range of construction and home environments and ideal for decking, fencing and cladding. WPC products are now widely accepted in outdoor applications, their success due to the combination of very low maintenance, attractiveness and long life. Vannplastic Ltd., manufacturer of Ecodek, was established in 2002 to produce only WPC products and we are now by far the largest British manufacturer. We believe our products and the service we offer are both the very best available and we welcome any opportunity to prove this to you. Contents Adventures Outdoors Safe havens for adventurous learners page 2 In this, the latest edition of our newsletter, we have much to share – celebrations, new initiatives and industry developments. If you’d like to comment on any of the articles, or want to talk to us about any of our existing projects or developing initiatives please get in touch. Waterside Where there was wood, now there’s Ecodek page 2 Gold Standard Again, and again Recycled and recyclable page 2 Ecodek in Construction Building the homes of the future page 3 Ecodek at Work Custom profiles for cladding and decking page 3 Ecodek at Home Making everything easy page 3 Ecodek in the Environment Trusting in Ecodek page 4 Ecodek win Olympic contract to supply composite decking (as featured on ITV Wales) Pubs, Clubs and Bars in the Sky Outdoor spaces come to life page 4 What, Where, Who The Ecodek team page 4 Just a few months ago we won a contract to supply the Olympic stadium with 3,900 square metres of composite decking. As you can imagine, the route to the Olympics is certainly one that puts businesses through their paces… The contract required the supply of Ecodek for 3,900m2 of flooring in the VIP area on Level 2 of the Olympic Stadium. The decking was subject to stringent and exhaustive testing to ensure it was fit for purpose. As well as having to meet tough slip resistance and floor loading standards, it was necessary to comply with comprehensive stadia fire safety regulations preventing any potentially flammable debris dropping through the decking and collecting underneath. Ecodek achieved all the criteria, verified by independent external testing, and also successfully met very demanding delivery schedules. Following approval, we received a visit from John Armitt, head of the Olympic Development Authority, along with his PR team to see how the Olympic contract would benefit us as a company. The visit sparked media attention, marking us out as one of the few companies based in Wales to achieve a contract directly from the Olympics, as opposed to through the sub-contracting route. Alex Collins, Ecodek’s Technical Director commented “At Ecodek our business has been growing 50% year on year. We have a strong element of repeat business and a reputation for innovation. We already had a proven track record of delivery to large multinational clients, so from the time of the announcement that the Olympics was coming to the UK, we set our sights on winning some of the work available.” Vannplastic Limited Viscount House River Lane, Saltney Chester, CH4 8RH, UK Tel: +44 (0)1244 677 367 Fax: +44 (0)1244 681 999 www.vannplastic.co.uk www.ecodek.co.uk 1 Adventures Outdoors Ecodek is being chosen by architects around the UK for a range of public sector projects – unbeatable due to its custom lengths and buy-back scheme, which results in zero waste and lower installation costs. Schools, nurseries and public spaces are benefitting from an Ecodek environment. Schools enjoy the outdoors by creating innovative new spaces Waterside Ecodek is ideally suited in waterside settings such as marinas and swimming pools. The slip resistant surface is one benefit, as is the lifespan, as unlike wood Ecodek will not rot in damp environments, and there is no risk of chemical leaching. Ecodek repels issues created by standing water at London Zoo Ecodek enhances safety and scenery at marinas around the world Again, and again Recycling is at the core of the Ecodek business model, driven by our desire to support environmental initiatives throughout all our processes. As responsible manufacturers we have in the past year invested considerable resources working towards achieving FSC and PEFC certification. All Ecodek products use recycled materials and are 100% recyclable. Our composite decking is manufactured from highest quality reclaimed hardwood and recycled HDPE. Less energy is required to manufacture Ecodek than is required for recycled plastic decking therefore producing less carbon emissions. 2 Ecodek in Construction A wide range of design and construction businesses are seeing the benefits of using Ecodek for decking, fencing, cladding, stairwells and balconies. A major UK house builder, for example, has chosen Ecodek for feature balconies in a number of large London based property developments, finding our bespoke lengths attractive as their use results in no waste. Ecodek balconies – for domestic, corporate and public spaces Ecodek at Work Illustrating the many and varied uses of Ecodek is a recent project to supply a client with cladding materials for the production of poultry housing. The client has over thirty years experience of designing and supplying top quality poultry housing to meet the exacting quality, animal welfare and budgetary demands of the agricultural industry. Using Ecodek cladding creates an attractive and rot-proof finish allowing them to offer their customers an option to clad their poultry sheds – giving them a twenty five year guarantee and the promise of low maintenance. “When selecting Ecodek we were impressed by its environmental credentials,” they said. “Being manufactured from recycled materials and the fact that it can be fully recycled reduces landfill and contributes to a better environment. We like that. So far we’ve used about 100 tonnes (8,000 m2) and Alex at Ecodek worked with us to design a profile exclusively for our needs.” A custom profile for a custom project Ecodek at Home Installing Ecodek decking requires no special skill or equipment. Over two thousand home owners throughout the UK, and beyond, have done it themselves using only normal woodworking tools, common sense and our comprehensive technical data, although we are, of course, always here to help and advise. Ecodek enhances gardens and terraces, large and small 3 Ecodek in the Environment What, Where, Who During the past three years demand for all our WPC products has consistently exceeded our strongest forecasts and in order to meet this demand we are well advanced with plans to further increase our production capacity. Not only have we committed to considerable expenditure on a major new extrusion line and upgrades of our existing lines, we are also in the process of finalising the acquisition of new factory premises in North Wales which together will double existing capacity. We’re always pleased to meet with customers to discuss project ideas, requirements and solutions. Call or email us now to arrange an appointment, place an order, or simply request your Ecodek samples. Angela Hind Sales & Marketing Manager
[email protected] Alison Riley Sales Administrator
[email protected] Rob Morgan Transport Manager
[email protected] Jeff Angove Financial Director
[email protected] Alex Collins Technical Director
[email protected] William Midwood Commercial Director
[email protected] Vannplastic Limited Viscount House River Lane, Saltney Chester, CH4 8RH, UK Tel: +44 (0)1244 677 367 Fax: +44 (0)1244 681 999 www.vannplastic.co.uk www.ecodek.co.uk You might not expect to find lengths of Ecodek in the rolling hills and rugged moorland of the Yorkshire Dales, but when the National Trust wanted to create walkways suitable not only for pedestrians but for wheelchair users too, Ecodek stood out. Creating a low maintenance, rot-proof, and slip resistant surface the Ecodek boards wind their way through the landscape providing a flat and accessible National Trust pathways, Settle, North Yorkshire boardwalk route through the soft ground. Pubs, Clubs and Bars in the Sky In the heart of London, the Trafalgar Hotel’s sky bar boasts an unrivalled backdrop of the capital’s landscape, capturing the sheer splendour of the city. In a world where design and style are important Ecodek black decking boards have created an iconic look, set with black polished tables, and smooth white stools. Smart city spaces Outdoor spaces are now an integral part of the pub experience – whatever the weather, and it’s because of the weather that our slip resistant, low maintenance surfaces are so popular amongst architects and designers creating smart outdoor spaces in leisure environments around the UK. Ecodek transforms outdoor spaces simply… … and with style 4