The best role the UK can play is be innovators . We ’ ve got some smart people here and we can develop materials that we can give to countries like China .
their social media just before the Covid-19 pandemic .
Polymateria was founded in 2015 at Imperial College London and was the first organisation to achieve certified biodegradation of the most commonly-littered forms of plastic packaging . By adding a special additive called Lyfecycle into the plastic processing , a lot of packaging material that escapes refuse streams can now fully break down into an environmentally friendly wax-like substance . Sounds like science fiction ? Well , you better believe it , because it ’ s definitely happening and Richard is “ 100 per cent onboard with this new technology ”.
Keeping abreast of all the latest technological developments is essential for a major company like Gemini . After all , they are not the only prototype manufacturer in the UK , far from it . But what exactly do they build ? Well , to put it simply , if you want a product designed and prototyped quickly , they are your ‘ one-stop shop ’. Offering a wide range of specialist services , Gemini ’ s team of talented 22-strong workforce can produce 3D design concepts , CAD design , traditional hand-carved models , high-tech blow moulding and injection moulded prototypes .
Working within automotive , big pharmaceuticals and fast-moving consumer goods industries , their client list is just as impressive as the services they offer . Jaguar , BMW , Airbus , Bacardi , 3M and KraftHeinz are just some of their regulars . They have these impressive clients simply because they deliver great results every time . “ People like using us ,” Richard commented , “ and we always try to be associated with projects that benefit humanity .” Working with Cambridge University in producing HIV diagnostics , as well as electric motors for YASA Motors perfectly demonstrate this .
One particular Gemini customer , Unilever , is keen to promote their planet-friendly credentials and is using the Lyfecycle technology , alongside another huge client , Reckitt Benckiser . However , both firms play out their business model on a global scale and involve investors who have had their fair share of controversy over the years – however , to be a major prototype firm like Gemini , you have to realise there are many moving parts to the industry and not get bogged down with forces that are beyond your control .
Richard is quick to comment it ’ s far from straightforward , that companies are being mindful about how ‘ eco-friendly ’ they are perceived to be and this is probably being driven , in part , by the mainstream rhetoric on plastic pollution . They themselves are currently in talks to obtain an approved ISO environmental standard called “ Environmental management ISO 14001 ”.
“ It ’ s getting more and more prominent in the clients ’ brief , in fact , it might come to the point where a client will say , ‘ until you have that environmental standard , you can ’ t supply to us ,’” Richard explained . “ They ’ re going down this route because they have to be seen as being responsible for taking an environmental stance . If you ’ re not green , you ’ re unethical .
He further commented about companies using lighter grade plastics and the cost factor . “ There ’ s been this apparently recent move to using more lightweight plastics , but this is nothing new , we were doing this 20 years ago ; shaving out half a gram of plastic from our moulding . If you can imagine the scale of some of these production plants , we ’ re talking billions , not millions of units – therefore , if you can shave off a small amount of plastic then the savings are going to be huge .”
And these facts further highlight what makes this whole global pollution situation so complicated , in that you have these huge industrial and economical forces essentially steering everything – with there being no one quick-fix to a more eco-friendly world .
So , Gemini ’ s stance on plastics for the foreseeable future is that there ’ s no substitute to support modern living . “ It ’ s a marvellous material but it ’ s been taken for granted ,” Richard explained . “ It ’ s what you do with it afterwards ... we need to value it more , because good luck trying to get through another pandemic without it , plastic is the main raw material in PPE .
Misinformation on how you should substitute plastic is another key factor that needs addressing , according to Richard . “ As much as I admire Greenpeace , they have demonised plastic to a point where people are using alternatives that are even worse for the environment . Like switching to paper pulp much of which can ’ t even be recycled . Any thermoplastic can be recycled , but what happens to cardboard after use ? It rots down and produces methane which is a very harmful greenhouse gas .”
Despite everything , Richard remains optimistic . “ The best role the UK can play is be innovators . We ’ ve got some smart people here and we can develop materials that we can give to countries like China . Change will come through innovation , and making sure the consumer is informed of what the facts are .”
For further information contact Gareth Looker of Looker Marketing Communications on 07734 104285 or email gareth @ looker . co . uk
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