INDUSTRYNEWS FROMTHEEDITOR
A HAPPIER NEW YEAR
When I was at school , there was a sign on the history classroom door that read ‘ life has to be lived forward , but can only be understood backwards ’. And , for a year that most of us never want to think of again , there are so many positives we can take from 2020 as we begin a brand new year at Clearview .
» WALKING THROUGH THAT VERY SAME history classroom door was like taking a step back in time , not only as we read about Roman history , wandered through wars , and marvelled at medicinal breakthroughs , but also because Room 23 was draughty with out of date windows , and freezing cold due to a heating system that pre-dated most of the eras we were being educated on . I loved history class none-the-less but a point that always troubled me was that I felt we didn ’ t learn enough about ‘ Modern History ’. Now , over the past five years , I believe we have lived through life-transforming times that will be taught to others for decades , if not centuries to come .
Political landmarks in the UK , Europe and the USA have altered the landscape of the world in ways we never would ’ ve imagined . A global pandemic physically divided us from those we loved yet psychologically united us with people we ’ ve never met ; teaching us to value what we used to take for granted and putting some perspective back into our lives as to ‘ not sweat the small stuff ’, and taught me to spend a lot less time in the supermarket every other day , and make much better lists when I do go .
I ’ m back in that time machine from Room 23 once again , because , as I write this letter I am technically still in 2020 . And while no-one can truly predict what will happen when that clock strikes midnight and 2021 begins , or what has happened between me writing this and you reading it , looking back on a year that no one could ’ ve planned for has taught me that every ‘ Happy New Year ’ begins as a result of every moment that came before it .
The innovation and inspiration of individuals I witnessed last year , the resilience and response in business relationships , the dedication and determination up and down the country and across the world has already made me happy for the new year , and I wish the same to you . And , for more specific Annual Predictions from our own Steve Sidebottom and some other familiar faces , turn to our special feature , which starts on page 22 .
Gemma , Editor
MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONS ‘ NO WASTE SENT DIRECTLY TO LANDFILL ’ INITIATIVE
» WITH THE PRESSING need to place environmental concern as a paramount issue , PVC building product manufacturer Swish Building Products , confirms that Corporate Environment Responsibility has long been a priority on its company agenda , and that its range of green initiatives – practiced since 2008 , are succeeding in delivering results that exceed expectation .
A company committed to ‘ making the most of a resource ’, UK manufacturer Swish has invested in process and improvement for over a decade ; a move that ’ s enabled its PVC window , fascia , gutter and cladding system products to last longer , and prove suitable for effective recycling up to eight times or more .
With an active connection to The Epwin Group Brief – A British Plastics Federation initiative devised to challenge lifecycle costs – and a Climate Change Agreement in place with the Environment Agency ( EA ), Swish has pledged to strive for change and deliver environmentally beneficial results , designed to make a real difference .
Set with an industry sector efficiency target by the EA , Swish was challenged to reduce its energy intensity by 20 percent before the end of 2020 ; compared to the company ’ s base-line year of 2008 . Currently consuming 30.8 percent less energy than 12 years ago , the manufacturer has already used the EA initiative to position itself ahead of the sector target , as Alan Tunnicliffe , the company ’ s Process Improvement Manager explains :
“ As a company , we believe that taking a sustainable , operational approach should be considered a day-to-day function . By introducing a ‘ right first-time ’ manufacturing strategy , we ’ ve succeeded in delivering an efficient and sustainable operating route ; designed to prevent waste . Aside from PVC , we separate cardboard , office paper , polythene from packaging , metals and food waste , before any remaining materials are forwarded to a waste partner for general waste recovery .”
To enable its products to be ‘ continuously ’ recycled , Swish has consistently ensured the PVC used within building materials comprises high levels of stability and appropriate stabilisers to allow successful extrusion into new PVC articles .
To achieve the process , PVC recycling equipment - including two onsite granulators and a pulveriser - are used to downsize all Swish ’ s pre-used PVC products to a fine powder for effective re-processing , and a number of recycling cages and onsite compactors sort various waste streams .
www . swishbp . co . uk
4 » JAN 2021 » CLEARVIEW-UK . COM