Potteries manufacturer Johnson Tiles has become the first tile company to commit to plastic-free packaging.
The Tunstall company has joined forces with a specialist packaging partner to make sustainable stretch wrap for pallet stabilisation, as part of its goal to become plastic free by 2020.
Working with Polythene UK, Johnson Tiles sourced an alternative to the polythene traditionally used to wrap the firm's pallets ready for delivery - and now the stretch wrap is made from the waste from sugar cane farms.
Certified by the UK's Carbon Trust, the 'Polyair' product - manufactured under licence by Polythene UK - provides a 100 per cent recyclable, carbon-neutral solution.
James Woollard, managing director of Polythene UK, said: "Johnson Tiles takes a hugely refreshing approach. Unlike many larger, established brands, they went out of their way to make it work.
"Their foresight and prompt action - trialling the product at the end of 2019 and making all the operational changes in a matter of months - makes me excited about what else we can achieve. We continue to work together to make sugar cane even more sustainable by seeking ways to harness its 100 per cent recyclable properties, over and over."
Eliminating plastic is just one of many initiatives Johnson Tiles has undertaken to strengthen its environmental credentials as a UK manufacturer.
As well as sourcing 100 per cent recyclable cardboard pallets for smaller deliveries, the company has invested in shredding machines to break down this cardboard so that it can be reused to protect products during shipping, as a sustainable alternative to bubble wrap.
The PP straps that once secured goods are now also 100 per cent recyclable paper.
Jason Bridges, head of procurement and production at Johnson Tiles, said: "The Polyair technology combined with other changes we've made across the board inevitably mean additional investment but, keeping the bigger picture in mind, we're confident this commitment will pay off in the long-run.
"As a manufacturer we must take responsibility and find better ways of moving forward. We simply have to make it work - sustainably."
