Oltco Plymouth launches pioneering ground reinforcement system made utilising waste ocean plastic

Oltco Plymouth, led by Ben Ure, has expanded its sustainable product offering by launching Recycle Base, a ground reinforcement system made utilising stone and low-grade plastic, including waste ocean plastic.

The company which specialises in creating resin bound driveway, patio, pathway, balcony and pool surround transformations has experience in developing innovative and sustainable products, with Recycle Base following the success of Oltco’s award-winning Recycle Bound solution.

Researchers have estimated that up to 12 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the ocean every year, which is the equivalent of a rubbish truck emptying every minute.[1] This ocean plastic then has a disastrous impact on the oceans’ inhabitants and wildlife.

Oltco has found that the average surface installation is 70m² and by using Recycle Base, this would utilise the equivalent of a tonne of waste ocean plastic, which is the equivalent of recycling 175 million plastic straws. In most cases, this waste plastic would have been incinerated, producing over a tonne of carbon dioxide. So, by utilising this product, customers will be carbon offsetting and planting the equivalent of six trees.

Oltco has partnered with Exeter City Council to collect the low-grade plastic, shred this using machinery purchased by the Council, and then utilise this plastic in Recycle Base.

Oltco Plymouth’s Ben Ure says: “Recycle Base works perfectly with both our traditional resin bound and Recycle Bound solutions and I’m really proud that we can now also offer our customers a sustainable base solution. It’s been amazing to see how many people in the Plymouth area have come on board with Recycle Bound and I know they are going to love Recycle Base too.”

Tom Stringer, Co-Director of Oltco, comments: “Recycle Bound has been hugely successful and has had a really positive impact on the environment. We’re really excited to replicate this success with Recycle Base.”

Johnny Pearce, Co-Director of Oltco, says: “Typically, the low-grade ocean plastic is incinerated as it is no longer of use. We wanted to use this plastic and give it a new purpose and by doing this, prevent the release of more CO2 emissions. Recycle Base also has the added benefit that after its useful life, it can be broken up and used to create a new ground reinforcement system - it was really important to us that we created a product that could continue to be reused.”

The grid used in the base product is made using 100% recycled plastic and has a load bearing capability of up to 800 tonnes per square metre. Recycle Base is a fully permeable load bearing system and can be re-recycled at the end of its life. For a typical driveway, excavation can be as little as 168mm, meaning there are many advantages to using Recycle Base.

Recycle Base can be recycled at the end of its useful life and contribute to the circular economy. The top resin bound or Recycle Bound surface can be mechanically broken up and lifted away from the grid. The grid system can then be separated and the infill removed. The top surface and the infill can be crushed and reused into a new Recycle Base ground reinforcement system.

At the end of its useful life, the grid can be sent to a local recycling plant and recycled, ensuring that all parts of the system can continue to be reused.

Recycle Base will be widely available across Plymouth and the surrounding towns and villages.