DOORS&WINDOWS
SUSTAINABLE SEALANTS – LOCK AND RE-LOAD
Every year, it’s estimated that a staggering one hundred million used sealant cartridges
are sent to landfill in the UK. That equates to around 6,000 tonnes of non-degradable
waste - with at least some of it being produced by the glazing industry. One company
which has found an innovative way of addressing this problem is British-based, Bond It.
» AS DAVID MOORE,
Managing Director at the
manufacturer of sealants,
adhesives, grouts and other
building chemicals, explains: “For
all businesses - including those in
the sealant applicator sector - the
case for adopting more sustainable
products and working practices
has never been stronger. Aside
from protecting the environment
for future generations, going
greener can deliver major benefits
in other areas such as potentially
reduced costs and increased
marketing opportunities. A prime
example of this can be found in
our Reload range.”
BETTER BY DESIGN
Bond It’s Reload range of
silicones employs a unique
reusable design that helps to
minimise waste to landfill offering
a solution around sustainable
packaging. The system is designed
for use with special sausage refills.
Currently being offered, three of
Bond It’s most popular silicones
and sealants, WP100, Frame-
Mate and Multi-Mate, with a
view to rolling out the concept to
other products in the range at a
later date.
How the Reload refillable
system works is simple. The
silicone is supplied in the form
of EU3 aluminium foil sausages
that can be replaced as needed.
The end of this refill is removed
with scissors before the nozzle is
attached as normal. The sealant
can then be dispensed using
an ordinary skeleton gun and
once the refill is used up, the
aluminium slug can be simply and
cleanly removed and disposed of
before another refill is reloaded.
GOING GREEN
As well as being incredibly easy
to use, the Reload system also
offers significant environmental
benefits. In particular, both
the cartridge and the nozzle
are completely recyclable while
Reload’s refillable nature also
means that any excess silicone in
the nozzle doesn’t go to waste.
But the green benefits don’t
stop there. The reusable nature
of Reload also results in a
considerable reduction in the
amount of waste generated and
subsequently requiring disposal.
“Aside from helping to reduce
the enormous number of sealant
cartridges currently being sent to
landfill, the Reload system also
delivers a significant reduction
in packaging use and subsequent
waste,” explains David. “In fact,
compared to traditional spent
sealant cartridges, a used Reload
refill is up to 60% lighter and
80% smaller in volume.
“This offers major benefits
against a backdrop where site
waste disposal costs are now
determined by waste type and
weight. It’s also particularly
pertinent when we take
into consideration the legal
requirement for Site Waste
Management Plans (SWMP)
on all building projects over
£300,000 which seek to increase
waste reduction, recovery and
recycling.” Coupled with landfill
shortages around the corner and
increasing site costs imposed by
the Government, this will lead to
increased transportation costs as
waste will need to travel further.
As a further benefit, the
aluminium foil packaging
employed on the refills ensures
that the silicone boasts twice the
product shelf life of traditional
cartridges. This helps to
significantly reduce spoilage. Plus,
the reduction in packaging also
helps to make the refills lighter
and more space effective than
traditional alternatives.
As David concludes:
“As a business, Bond It has
always had a firm focus on
product development and on
pioneering new solutions that
meet the evolving needs of
the industries we serve. As a
result, we continue to enhance
our range with products that
not only set new standards
in terms of performance and
technical innovation, but also
environmental credentials.
Reload is a prime example of this
commitment.”
Potentially it will also be a
more cost effective option to
consider if the Government
pass legislation in 2022 to tax
imported plastic packaging that
does not contain at least 30%
recycled content. With current
cartridges being produced from
100% virgin plastic there will be
a cost increase that inevitably will
be passed on to end users of these
products. Switching to greener
systems, like the Reload concept,
will reap commercial benefits as
well as tackling the increasing
issue of single use plastic and its
devastating affect on the planet.
www.bond-it.co.uk
32 » SEP 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM