AO expands recycled plastic supply deal

Over the last year, AO has supplied Volution with recycled high impact polystyrene (HIPS) from approximately 63,000 recycled fridges from its Telford recycling plant.

These are collected from customers’ homes, and moving forward, the retailer will also be providing recycled acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

Volution will use the material in ventilation systems in place across the UK.

ABS plastic is largely found in auto parts, electronics and consumer goods. Volution will use the recycled material to produce a range of parts including the fan chassis of the ventilation and components, with the HIPS continuing in the manufacture of the ducting accessories.

Pleased

Rob Sant, managing director of AO Recycling, said: “We’re so pleased our partnership with Volution helps them close in on their target of using 90% recycled plastic in their manufacturing process by 2025.

“As a retailer, AO want to take responsibility for the entire recycling process, from start to finish, and we’re proud to be producing high quality recycled plastic that can be easily used in new long-life products. We will continue to invest in our plastic recycling plant as we believe this is key to fulfilling our long-term goals.”

After opening its recycling plant in 2017, AO has now recycled five million appliances through its collect & recycle service, where both customers and the public can book to have their appliances taken away to be “responsibly disposed of”.

The plastic collected from old fridges is cleaned and refined into reusable HIPS and ABS at its plastic plant.

Target

Volution said it came under target to hit 90% recycled plastic last year due to supply chain issues,  so this new source of material from AO will put the UK-based manufacturer of domestic ventilation fans one step closer towards its commitment.

Lee Nurse, business development director at Volution Group, said: “We are really excited to have worked with AO to help us get this new source of recycled material into our facilities.

“Our procurement teams continue to drive our ambition for 90% of the plastic within our facilities to come from recycled sources, and even with the complexities of the global supply chain situation, we are still making great progress towards that goal”.