Plastics: Dystopian Tibetan Prayer Flags or White Gold | IBRAN
Whatever the desired look is for your home, you probably would agree that the functional benefit is just as important as the visual aesthetic. The two don’t always go together, and I guarantee that the thought of using plastic to achieve this wouldn’t have crossed your mind. The added bonus, it also keeps maintenance to the absolute bare minimum.
Plastic has long been associated with the 70’s and 80’s white gold explosion and the cheap, poorly designed and poorly fitted windows, doors and conservatories. They even made a TV series about it! In other examples, we see discoloured, salt-washed water bottles and cutlery bulging out like a bakelite island; plastic bags strewn into the wind, found strapped to tree branches like dystopian Tibetan prayer flags.
Rightly, with so much plastic junk in our day to day lives painting a picture of it as tacky, there are calls to end its production completely. The most glaring and recent example - the banning of the (not-so-humble) plastic straw.
But the question to ask is, can plastic ever be useful or even remotely aesthetically acceptable?
Plastic’s main virtue is its longevity.
For this reason alone, very recently we have seen a huge increase in the use of plastic in construction. Not just for home use but for large commercial and community projects. It is not just about the environmental benefits of using recyclable materials but the fact that it is just as reliable as any material traditionally used in building foundations. From driveways to bases for outdoor structures, patios and pathways, the use of plastic is proving its worth.
Aesthetically, plastic can be used discreetly alongside more natural materials to give the best of both the natural and engineered worlds. Composite doors, for example, contain wood and plastic and can look natural like wood but have all the structural properties gained through using plastic.
With the calls to end its production, it makes the most logical sense to also be tackling the plastic waste that already exists. It’s a great raw material which we use ourselves in all our products; skilfully designed, discreet and easy to use and environmentally friendly.
Sharon Smedley found our Gravel Parking Grids through a Google search.
“We were very pleased with the last order we placed with you: an easy to understand and easy to order web page, right through to the confirmation by email and also the super quick delivery. All in all we were very pleased with your company and that’s why we have returned to you for more grids. Thank you for the great service”.
We offer expert advice through our sales team and our website demonstrates just some of the many ways one can use plastic in construction projects big and small.
From the founding of the business to today, our core motivation has always been to actively contribute to the improvement of the environment. And for that reason we are always on the hunt for new ways we can incorporate and repurpose waste materials for an enduring purpose. For example, our ground reinforcement grids have helped us make a massive dent in global plastic waste. This year alone we have sold 1 million kg's worth! That's a lot of waste plastic locked up for good.
We invest in ideas and businesses that allow us to increase our recycling output. If you or someone you know has an idea or runs a business and wants to discuss this kind of opportunity with us, get in touch on:
innovation@ibran.co.uk
01603 972954
