Scotland-headquartered marine equipment and technology supplier Gael Force Group has started a partnership with a business that aims to turn waste from its moorings production into recyclable garden products.
Ocean Plastic Pots transforms raw material from the excess tail-end rope offcuts into distinctively coloured plant pots that can be used indoors and outdoors. The pots are designed in Glasgow and manufactured in Scotland and are the brainchild of former commercial diver Ally Mitchell.
The idea to team up with Ocean Plastic Pots came from Gael Force’s Warehouse Supervisor, Dougie Grant who submitted the proposal through the company’s employee idea forum, Force for Good.
Alongside the moorings production team, Grant had been considering ways in which surplus materials from production jobs could be diverted away from traditional methods of waste disposal. He identified an opportunity for recycling the rope offcuts when he came across Ocean Plastic Pots on television and took an initiative to explore further.
As a result, Ocean Plastic Pots has just recently produced its first batch of Burton pots made from the distinctly yellow coloured SeaQureLine. Its manufacturing technique means that each pot is different, but all have a solid yellow flat matt colour.
“Leftover material from our production is inevitable, just like it is in construction, engineering, or other manufacturing. In partnership with Ocean Plastic Pots and through the determination of our team to help minimise the impact our operations have on the environment, we have found a way in which we can help create a circular economy,” Gael Force Marketing Manager Marc Wilson said.
Gael Force is exploring further initiatives to extend its recycling activities from production involving rope and netting offcuts.
