FSi increases use of recycled content in sealant packaging by up to 50%
Passive fire protection specialist FSi has introduced a range of packaging to its best selling fire stopping products, that uses recycled plastic content without compromising the integrity of its products.
Committed to reducing the amount of virgin plastic waste sent to landfill, FSi has sourced packaging that has a recycled plastic content of up to 50% for its cartridge products (including best selling Pyrocoustic, Pyrolastic and PyroPro HPE), while buckets up to 10 kilograms (used for Flexi Coat, PS Coating and StopSeal Coating), and even the StopSeal Batt film now contain 30% recycled content too.
This is a significant step in the right direction as recycled content is still not widely used within the fire protection industry – in part as robust packaging is still needed to maintain the integrity of products and to protect the likes of sealants and coatings from water damage.
Emma Taylor – Marketing Manager at FSi said: “Recycling is a recognised issue in construction, and it is widely accepted that change is needed. It is important that manufacturers play their role in helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry.
“However, the complex nature of some of the products used means this is not a simple task. Separating sealant and silicone from plastic packaging is a major issue, and research continues to find a viable solution. The one step that we can currently take is to use recycled plastic packaging where possible, but this can only be done where we have reassurances on the stability of the packaging from a product performance point of view – especially when it is a life critical product like ours.
“We’re delighted that work with our packaging suppliers has led to us being able to use a greater proportion of recycled post-consumer recyclate (PCR) plastic and help to prevent more and more virgin plastic going to landfill.
“Sealant foils are recognised as drastically reducing the waste generated from sealant packaging, and FSi do offer these in our Pyrocoustic and Pyrolastic products. But the slight change to the way the product is applied compared to the traditional plastic cartridge has hindered their popularity. It’s of vital importance that we take steps to reduce virgin plastic within our most popular products’ packaging to help our customers that are reluctant to change their application method.
Emma concludes: “Whilst we are very pleased to able to offer this more sustainable packaging, we know that the industry still has further to go. We’ll continue to work with our partners to introduce more sustainable solutions wherever possible across the business, balancing this with the need to ensure safety and adequately protecting the products to maintain their crucial performance.”