What does plastic recycling have to do with the flood sector?

Blue Planet 2 revealed the horrors of the lack of recycling, catching the nation’s attention. It was the most popular show of 2017. Viewers followed the journey of a female pilot whale and her baby which sadly died due to man-made plastics and contamination. The message was a strong one, and it has done wonders for increasing the awareness and education of why we must recycle. It is believed that around eight million tonnes of plastic make its way into the oceans each year.

It is great to see such a strong public reaction and engagement, and you may be wondering how this relates to engineering or the flood sector... Engineers must start designing products that are easier to recycle or use recycled material.

Blue Planet 2 has also shown how to grab the public’s attention. This is something that needs to happen within flood defence. Flooding only tends to be in the news when it happens and is then quickly forgotten about by the public and policy makers. I believe we need a large scale emotive awareness activity, to drive education and awareness, which are key to flood resilience. I believe the sector is too heavily focused on the financials and ROI, yet flood resilience does not have to be expensive, and we may drive better engagement through emotion. As a 2007 flood victim, I know flooding is traumatic, and there are things that can be done to reduce the impact and improve our flood response – yet uptake of resilience is so low.

At Flood Protection Solutions Ltd we are proud of our environmental credentials, and for us, it is incorporated into everything we do.

Our main product, the Water-Gate barrier, is 100% recyclable, which allows us to take back barriers at the end of their life and recycle them. During manufacture, any off cuts or spare parts are recycled and turned into recycled pavement slabs. The barrier is also reusable, and when compared with other products, the amount of waste into landfill is drastically reduced. Alongside this, we also offer a service option with our engine driven water pumps to ensure they run efficiently and their life is prolonged. Electric water pumps can be returned and any components recycled.

Within the flood defence sector, the environmental aspect is a double-edged sword, as the better prepared we all are, the less waste that will be sent to landfill after a flood. At Flood Protection Solutions Ltd, we are passionate about helping improve flood response across the U.K.

As always, if you need any assistance with a flood scheme, please contact me on 0115 9870358 and i'll be happy to help.

Simon Crowther