Case Study - Proplex Closed Loop Remanufacturing Scheme
Summary
Proplex Standard is a twin-wall, impact-resistant temporary building protection material used to protect most floor finishes. Proplex Standard is available in translucent or black, in sheets or rolls and in several thicknesses and weights that can be selected based on site traffic and project duration.
Through their Proplex ClosedLoop Re-manufacturing Scheme, Protec take back the used Proplex sheets they manufacture into a fully integrated, UK based, manufacturing and recycling centre. Here they guillotine, remove excess dirt and contaminants from the waste; shred, wash, dry then reprocess the used sheets into raw materials. These raw materials go straight back into the manufacturing cycle where they are re-manufactured into new post-consumer Proplex sheets.
Closed loop stages
1. Collect
- When it’s done its job, Proplex can be consolodated into bulk bags, tied in bales or stored in bins and skips
- Protec collect and take it back to their integrated recycling and manufacturing centre
- Material is weighed to collect accurate data for environmental reporting
2. Recycling
- Material is cleaned
- Chopped up into small pieces
- Excess dirt is shaken off
- Large rubbish is removed by hand
- The pieces are shredded
- Shredded material is washed
- This is now raw material
- The raw material is melted down with remaining impurities filtered off
- Cooled and chopped into pellets
- Whats left is clean recycled polypropylene
3. Manufacture
- The polypropylene pellets are mixed with additives to achieve required performance and structure
- This is melted down
- The molten material is shaped
- The surface is treated
- Protec and customer logos are printed on
- The sheets are cut to size and roll off the production line ready for their next job
Key information
Manufacturer | Protec |
Head office | Cheshire |
Manufacturing Centre | Sheffield |
Distribution Centre | Chesterfield |
Years in business | 30+ |
Product | Proplex temporary protection sheets |
Principal material | Polypropylene |
Packaging | Wooden pallets (99%) Plastic strapping (1%) |
Case studies
Mace, One Crown Place
Protec supplied 2mm Proplex Temporary Protection sheets to Permasteelisa and Loughton Contracts at One Crown Place, a project managed by ASBP member Mace. The Proplex sheets were required to protect facades and flooring from potential damage by follow-on trades.
Protec’s Proplex ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme diverted the used Proplex from landfill and incineration, providing valuable sustainability results, contributing to the project’s BREEAM target.
Multiplex & MacGregor, MPX Glasgow
Multiplex’s University of Glasgow project represents the start of a significant sustainable achievement for Multiplex, MacGregor Flooring and Protec International Ltd in delivering a fully ClosedLoop, end-of-life solution.
Protec supplied temporary protection sheeting into the University of Glasgow project. If these sheets were disposed of through the mixed waste stream, the energy in manufacturing these sheets would be lost and, typically, would create atmospheric carbon through incineration or would contribute waste to landfill.
The Proplex ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme will continue to be utilised to divert the Proplex from landfill and incineration. This ongoing project collaboration between MacGregor Flooring and Multiplex will contribute to reducing their environmental impact.
https://www.protection.co.uk/multiplex-and-macgregor-mpx-glasgow
Kier, Royal College of Arts
The Royal College of Arts project represents a significant sustainable achievement for Kier and Protec International Ltd and successfully delivered the Proplex ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme.
Protec supplied ProplexFR temporary protection sheets for Kier at the Royal College of Arts, in London so they could effectively protect floors, walls and surfaces fromaccidental damage throughout the construction works.
Normally these sheets would be disposed of through the mixed waste stream going to either landfill or incineration.
By adopting the Proplex ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme all this waste was uplifted from site and taken back to Protec’s Manufactuing & Recycling Centre where it was recycled and remanufactured in to new temproary protection sheets ready to be used on site again.