Environment and recycling
At Northern Ireland Plastics we operate a programme of continuous improvement in our environmental performance and pollution prevention. We aim to reduce the environmental impact of our business and to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. We ensure that the company complies with all relevant environmental legislation and regulations.
Before polypropylene was invented, the gaseous waste such as polypropylene and ethylene were simply burned, because they were useless. Today, these gases are used to produce polypropylene, thus drastically reducing atmospheric pollution.
Corriboard is extruded from polypropylene and therefore is 100% recyclable. It meets the manufacturing requirements of the Environment Commission – these stipulate that there should be a minimum use of natural resource, a long working life of products with optimum re-use. There is a high demand for polypropylene for recycling purposes as it can be recycled multiple times without any reduction in strength.
Recycling methods:
- It can be granulated and reintroduced into the extrusion process. Among the many applications for reprocessed material is shuttering for reinforced concrete foundation beams.
- Incineration with energy recovery: As applies with most polyolefin’s, our sheets have a high calorific value that is equivalent to fuel oil. Only minimal and inoffensive combustion residues remain.
- In the ill advised event of disposal without recovery, corriboard does not pose any hazard to the environment, nor cause soil or aquatic environment contamination.