Soyang and partner introduce PVC recycling scheme

Soyang Europe has partnered with waste management specialist Blue Castle to create a PVC Recycling Membership Scheme.

“The PVC Recycling Scheme is the first step towards a very real recycling solution to the use of PVC banner material, which is widely used within the printing industry, but not currently recyclable,” said Soyang Europe managing director Mark Mashiter. “The demand for print providers and their customers to consider the environmental impact of the print they produce is a hot topic and we’ve been in discussions with our customers about the need for this for some years, which until now has seemed unattainable. Now we’re delighted to be able to reveal that, thanks to the dedication and specialist knowledge brought to the table by Blue Castle Group, we can now offer PVC waste recycling to our customers.” Marie Harley, CEO at Blue Castle Group, which has developed and tested the machinery needed to convert PVC banner into a reusable format, added: “Our team has worked tirelessly to not only cultivate a workable solution for PVC waste recycling, but also to strengthen relationships with partner companies capable of using this material once it has been processed and broken down. Reaching the point of viability with the project is an incredibly exciting time for the team at Blue Castle and for our partners at Soyang Europe. We’re here to disrupt the printing industry!” Blue Castle’s PVC recycling plant is located near to the company’s head office in Lincolnshire, where, in its simplest form, a team puts the PVC waste through an industrial-sized shredding machine to break it down into a re-processable size. “We have extensively tested the PVC banner material, establishing critical elements such as its flash point and chemical properties,” said Harley. “We’ve explored many options for using the shredded PVC and thanks to strong partner relationships in other sectors, we have developed lines of supply to ensure the processed banner material has viable future uses in a range of industries.” “We would encourage anyone currently offering a PVC banner printing provision to get in touch with the team at Soyang Europe to discuss how the PVC Recycling Membership Scheme can benefit their printing business,” said Mashiter.