British Recycled Plastic is a Mytholmroyd success story whose ethos is all about transforming ‘Waste to Wonderful’.
In this interview with their Managing Director Jason Elliott, we’ll look at the benefits, both environmental and practical, for sports clubs and their volunteers.
Their products range from picnic tables to seats and benches, garden furniture to litter bins and the company initially began in 2008, involved in refurbishment and the building trade.
But a eureka moment came with discovering recycled plastic as an element of grids made to use driveways. The Calder Valley has been hit many times with flooding so adaptations and thoughtful design are important.
Plastic understandably has a toxic reputation now we all know more about its longevity and the impact it has in countless ways.
Yet, there is a mountain in circulation that can be repurposed and there are positives to consider.
Jason told me that they’d supplied planks for walkways at Flamborough Head as the wooden ones had eroded due to the salt and punishing coastal conditions.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club had ordered recycled plastic raised beds where they grow the food to feed their players and staff.
Whether it’s professional or grassroots clubs, schools, gardens at home or supporting organisations like the NHS and Ministry of Defence, there are many uses to keep plastic from landfill.
Durability and cheaper in the long run
Jason tells me: “I am interested in the sustainability and environmental protection side of recycled plastic but also supplying a top-draw engineering product that out-performs concrete, steel or timber.”
Typically in cricket, we like our wood. From bats to bails to benches. I am no different and have been spotted occasionally patting wood affectionately in public.
Yet, our insatiable demand for everything, instantly, has consequences you might not realise. Jason gives the example of fast-growing wood that gets cheaper timber onto the market in less time but decays quicker – and needs replacing sooner.
The most heinous aspect of plastic is perversely also its greatest superpower.
It lasts a long, long time.
British Recycled Plastic offers a 25-year guarantee on all of their products and naturally, if you’re a cricket club considering seating options for outdoors, that might be enticing.
No need to replace, repair or paint with weather-resistant treatments: “Because our recycled plastic lumber is chemically inert, it doesn’t really break down and anything that’s bad about plastic can be turned on its head.”
Massive time-saver for volunteers
If you have ever volunteered for a cricket club, you’ll know there are always jobs at the ground and inside the pavilion or clubhouse.
Repairs are part and parcel of grassroots cricket but if you can avoid a few along the way then that’s hours reclaimed to do something else (or find a few minutes to put the kettle on).
Jason reckoned: “There are other things volunteers could be doing rather than trying to get another year out of some rotten benches.”
Welcoming spaces
Having visited hundreds of cricket clubs, there are many examples where thought, time and expense has gone into making it welcoming inside and out.
Creating an appealing outdoor space to watch the cricket might include seating, signage, compost and litter bins, fencing and planters.
There’s serving the community but also a financial angle too. Cricket clubs are competing with other sports and pastimes for attention.
Why should members and non-members spend their Saturday, Sunday or evening at the club rather than shopping, cinema or at home?
Jason said: “Talking to people in your game, where do they make the money? It’s birthday parties, wedding receptions and after-match events. It’s very much about creating a popular, social environment.”
If you never knew anything about recycled plastic then maybe this has piqued your interest for at home, work or a cricket club, there’s more good news.
Benefits of recycled plastic: Strong, durable, weather-proof, very difficult to vandalise, low maintenance, eco-friendly, cost-effective, versatile and secure.
Cost: Now vs future
At a stage in our interview, Jason and I chat about the cost of recycled plastic because it is undeniably more expensive than other options.
Why wouldn’t you want to save? I guess the key to that is seeing the overall investment in cost and time over years, allied with the benefits listed above.
There are sometimes offers too – at the moment, you can Buy 4 Get 5 on selected Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables while stocks last.
Listen to our podcast episode!
Thanks to Jason for sharing his thoughts on sustainability and some of the practical uses for recycled plastic in the recreational game.
You can also listen to our conversation on the Cricket Yorkshire Podcast.
I’ll be doing more interviews and visits to clubs and matches this season. The podcast is available on Spotify, Google, Apple and all the usual platforms.
Want to find out more?
Since 2008, British Recycled Plastic has been helping organisations make smart and practical use of UK waste.
You can explore their website – https://britishrecycledplastic.co.uk, contact them online or call on 01422 419 555 with any questions.
Just a recap, they do a huge range of products from decking to litter bins and fencing to planters. Suitable for clubs, businesses or at home.
British Recycled Plastic are also British Recycled Plastic on Facebook or you can check them out on Instagram.
More club cricket articles
Six recycled plastic furniture products for your cricket club
Settle boost capacity with 100% recycled plastic memorial benches
This is a sponsored article for British Recycled Plastic – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on sponsored content.
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