Treading Lightly As We Go...

During the time we’ve been locked down we’ve all seen the dramatic rise in the use of single use plastics for gloves, masks and visors - and while this was obviously unavoidable here at Rugged we thought it would be worth re-iterating our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment.

Firstly, our products are designed to be as long-lived and adaptable as possible, so that if one part wears out, it can be updated easily. For instance, although the main moulded plastic body of the CardioWall (and Freestyle Duo) is polyethylene, firstly it can be widely recycled at the end of its life, but also it is robust and flexible enough to be updated and re-used.

As an example, here is a breakdown of a recent product that was returned to us when our customer upgraded to a newer model.

Total return weight 43.5 Kg

29.6Kg Plastic mouldings will be recycled and use to manufacture things like plastic water tanks
5kg of packing cardboard recycled in the normal way
2Kg of electrical wire and printed circuit boards will be recycled for metals like copper, tin and gold
2.5Kg of Polycarbonate plastic will be recycled into new plastic parts
3.5Kg of various metal parts recycled on the normal way

Total recycled 42.6Kg
Approx 98% sent for recycling

Secondly, we very carefully manage our own waste during construction, ensuring that any non-recyclable parts are kept to a tiny minimum- of course this has the extra benefit of being economically prudent! 

Finally, we reduce the impact of shipping by combining packages together when going to the same hub for distribution. This ensures the minimum of fuel is spent on transportation.

Whilst the current pandemic has had a very positive effect on the atmosphere with the reduction of car commuting removing a lot of pollution, we are taking the long-term view that upstream action now, will pay dividends in the form of environmental improvements in the future.

by Simon Heap