Environment

However, there are important parts of the process which we are unable to control. As a valued customer, what we ask is that you join us in our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our product and make every effort to:

• Prevent wastage when you are laying the product; read the information sheet carefully to make sure it is fitted correctly.
• Ensure you use the entire contents of base coat from the plastic drum and then either reuse the drum or recycle with other plastics.
• Recycle the polythene wrapping used to protect the mat in transit.
• Dispose of the fully treated mat responsibly once it has come to the end of its life. The product is non-hazardous so can be disposed of with other general waste.

We believe in our product and the benefits it can bring to your project, but is that enough? In a world that is becoming increasingly aware of the impact we both as individuals and consumers are having on the natural and social environment, we are all becoming more responsible and are subsequently asking whether the products we are consuming are as ‘environmentally friendly’ as they can be. Responsibility can mean a variety of things but for TFP that simply translates to ‘transparency’. To trust our product the way we do, means we don’t want to hide anything from our customers. We are committed to being able to demonstrate what we are doing to source raw materials, manufacture, retail and distribute our product with environmental considerations at the forefront. Why? Because the facts are proven. The more we ‘do our bit’ the more we are helping preserve everyone’s future. We care.
So, what do we do?

Materials

TecDura is comprised of three key components; a base coat, a geotextile mat and a top coat. We are proud that the geotextile mat is made from 75% post consumer plastic bottles, which we source from Ireland. So why is this important? Landfill sites produce methane gas, a major contributor to Climate Change. As well as that, we are simply running out of suitable space so the more we are able to find innovative solutions to divert waste away from landfill, the better. For more information, a video on this process is available via the following link. [to be added]

We’ve put the top coat on the geotextile mat for you, giving TecDura its ability to protect the flooring underneath from damage whilst work is underway. Both the top and bottom coat are made from a unique mix of chemicals, most of which are naturally occurring and, if controlled in the way we do, present no harm to the environment. However, some chemicals aren’t quite as ‘green’ as we’d like but are absolutely necessary to provide you with reassurance the product is flame retardant and meets the LPS 1207 standard. Whilst we will continue to seek alternatives for these chemicals, we are not prepared to compromise on your safety.

Aside from the rubber latex contained within the base coat, all our raw materials are sourced from within the EU as we recognise the positive impact on the economy, as well as the environmental benefits, through doing so. Rubber latex is a naturally occurring product found only is certain parts of the world, of which the EU isn’t one of. As such, we currently source this from Malaysia.

Manufacture

In order to achieve our environmental vision, it was important for us to work with manufacturers that share the same commitment. They are seeking ways to reduce their demand on natural resources during the manufacturing process; for example a dry conversion process is used in the manufacture of the nonwoven meaning we simply convert the recycled polyester into a nonwoven by mechanical entanglement.

We are in the process of collating robust baseline data of our electricity, gas and water usage so we can develop carbon management and reduction plans and monitor them against baseline consumption. Waste water discharged from our manufacturing plants is subject to consent from the local Water Authorities. Internally controlled and audited processes monitor the quality of water discharged in terms of its chemical composition, pH and temperature to ensure it is in line with consent limits and is safe to discharge. We are proud to report that there have been no instances of consent breach and we will continue to ensure robust procedures remain in place so that will continues.

Continual improvement is an important part of our approach so we are committed to identifying better, even more efficient ways of producing our product. Whatever achievements we make we will make sure we communicate to you.

Retail

The way we communicate with you, package our product and the logistics of physically getting it to you also has impacts on the environment. Here are our commitments from a retail perspective:

• Any paper products will be from a recycled or sustainable source. This protects our valuable forests from deforestation. Forests play an essential role in not only preserving the delicate balance of our ecosystems but also absorb carbon, preventing it from reaching the atmosphere so this additionally supports our pledge to reducing our impact on Climate Change.
• The geotextile mat is packaged in polythene. Any unnecessary damage either during transportation or from the external environment would result in it becoming a waste product, something we are keen to avoid. The polythene is fully recyclable and even if it can’t be segregated from your other wastes on site, this process will be carried out by your waste contractor. Either way, you can be rest assured that it will be diverted from landfill.
• The base coat is contained in 10kg plastic drums. Once the products has been fully used, these can also be recycled.
• The environmental impact of transport is significant; it is a major user of diesel, creating air pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a significant contributor to global warming through emission of carbon dioxide. Therefore, we are in the process of formalising our sustainable travel policy, part of which will include batching products together that are being delivered to a similar location. Due to the impacts on Climate Change, our emissions from transport will be included in the collation of our Carbon Footprint baseline year.

In-Use & End of Life

What we hope we’ve been able to communicate to you so far is that here at TFP we take our environmental responsibilities seriously, from the way we source our raw materials to the way we manufacture and distribute our product. However, there are important parts of the process which we are unable to control directly. As a valued and responsible customer, what we ask is that you join us in our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of our product and remember the waste hierarchy when using TecDura….