Case study: B&C Plastics
B&C Plastics design, develop, prototype and manufacture plastic injection moulded products for some of Australia’s leading brands. It is passionate about recycling and takes every opportunity to use recycled polymers where possible.
B&C Plastics is recognised as an ecoBiz Star Partner since it reduced energy intensity by10% and has shown a 45% reduction on waste intensity by implementing measures to reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill.
Key initiatives to reduce energy use
- Implemented power factor correction, which reduces demand through more efficient power utilisation.
- Energy-efficient lighting is used in their offices, factory and warehouse.
- Regularly services air compressors and injection moulding machines to ensure they run efficiently.
- Start up and shut down procedures are in place to ensure all machines are turned off at the end of the day and only started when needed.
Key initiatives to reduce waste
B&C Plastics is taking advantage of the opportunities presented by a circular economy:
- Rather than using virgin resources, it uses recycled plastics that already exist, which have been re-ground and re-formulated. Each year, it uses up to 50 tonnes of recycled materials in customer products.
- Removes and regrinds sprues (waste) from manufactured items. This regrind material is then reused, at an allowable rate, in secondary manufacturing procedures – reducing landfill.
- The team thinks before putting items in their industrial skip. They re-use, give away or sell items as much as possible (e.g. bulk bags or oversized pallets or plywood boxes). They also have a specialised cardboard recycling bin where all cardboard is recycled.
View a video about B&C Plastics.