The world’s media and indeed consumers across the globe are viewing the plastics industry with scrutiny, following the documented effects of waste plastics in the environment. As a responsible plastics manufacturer, Broadway Colours have responded with an entire range of new products to help reduce the amount of energy and raw material needed to produce products, without compromising on quality.
Following the recent appointment of Mark Giblin as Technical Director, Broadway took the challenges head on with an intensive Research and Development programme. Not only this but Broadway have recently attained ISO 14001 accreditation for their environmental management systems.
Mr Giblin said “I relish the challenges that have been presented by the industry over the past year or so, and am excited to be working with such an experienced team at Broadway. We had to tackle the issues stage by stage and offer more than one solution to the various issues of a sustainable family of products suited and designed for various polymers and processes. I strongly believe the solutions we are presenting can make a real difference to the industry.”
First, to deal with reprocessing plastics, that are recovered from recycling facilities. During the recycling process, some of the physical properties of the material can diminish. In order to preserve the integrity of the polymer during reprocessing, Broadway developed their new Supra-AO antioxidant packages, designed to prevent the material becoming brittle and discolouring during processing.
Next dealing with recycled material. It is common knowledge that recycled materials tend to be less cost effective than virgin material, and supply is short. To help this scarce material go further, Broadway have introduced Supra-Sustainable. A range of products designed to make bio and recycled polymers go further, and process easier. By using Supra-Sustainable moulders can also process at lower temperatures and decrease their cycle time, thereby saving energy and reduce CO2 emissions.
For applications where virgin material is required, Broadway have launched a range of biodegradable agents – Supra-Degradable. Designed to combat the issue of any plastics that do reach land-fill, the additive ensures that the product degrades when it should, without affecting its fitness for purpose.
There is also Supra-Performance. A range of additives designed to get the most from the polymer and the machine. By using Supra-Performance, heat is able to penetrate the polymer faster, meaning that processing temperatures can be reduced. It also coats the machine parts, enabling faster throughput, faster colour changes and reduced wear. The overall effect of this additive saves energy, time, wear and wastage.
Nick Barber, Commercial Director for Broadway added: “Quality, Service and Innovation have always been at the forefront of the company’s ethos. By making small changes to current working practices and incorporating these new products, I’m confident that our customers will reap the benefits and help reduce their environmental impact at the same time.”
