In what is described as a first for the industry, Travis Perkins is launching a new bulk bag with a minimum 30% recycled content ahead of the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax on the 1st April 2022.
Bulk bags will be subject to the new levy and are typically made of 100% virgin grade material. The tax means any business that manufactures or imports 10 tonnes or more of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic will be taxed at £200 a tonne.
By making the changes to the bag, the merchant estimates that it will save in excess of 350 tonnes of virgin grade material from being used within a year. The move also follows the publication of the company’s decarbonisation roadmap to achieve the Group’s SBTi approved carbon targets by 2035.
Travis Perkins has been working closely with one of its key suppliers, Centurion Industrial Packaging, since April 2021 to develop a bulk bag that reduces the level of virgin grade materials. The bags are now said to have passed both international independent safety standard tests as well as TP’s own rigorous internal testing processes to ensure they’re robust enough for use in branches and on site.
Production began in November 2021, and the bags were tested over 4,000 times in real-life situations and put under typical duress and strain that would occur when transported in branch and on site.
John Duffy, Senior Category Manager for Aggregates and Blocks from Travis Perkins, said: “With the introduction of the Plastic Packaging Tax, there’s a clear incentive for everyone to switch to recycled plastic. Allied with our ambition to become a net-zero carbon partner to the industry, there isn’t a better time to introduce this bulk bag to our customers. This move will not only prevent unnecessary waste but also reduce plastic pollution. By offering this solution we believe we can help the industry make changes that together will add up to a big difference for our environment.”
As outlined in the company’s fleet decarbonisation roadmap, 2022 will also see Travis Perkins continuing to pilot sustainably-sourced HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) wagons on its delivery fleet, the transitioning of Fork Lift Trucks to electric power, and provide alternative fuels to the company’s Plant Hire fleet.
Main image (from l to r): John Duffy, Senior Category Manager Aggregates & Blocks at Travis Perkins; Kerry Jackson, Head of Aggregates & Builder Merchants for Centurion Industrial Products; Lee Hudson, Managing Director of bagged aggregates supplier, GRS Building Products.
