Manufacturing firm, DR Baling has developed an innovative green alternative to steel wire which is set to save the waste industry tens of millions of pounds.
DR Baling, which currently produces 1,000 tons of steel wire a month, has innovated and diversified to future-proof the company and jobs of its 19-strong workforce.
The Yorkshire manufacturer is investing an ongoing £2.5m in developing PlasLOC – a heavy duty non-slip plastic wire which is set to take over the role of steel wire in the baling of waste.
The wire, which has the same properties as steel, can be incinerated within mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants, an innovation which has the potential to save the waste industry tens of millions of pounds by simplifying the recycling process.
The new product enables a cheaper and more environmental way to dispose of waste via incineration and will positively impact on the amount of waste going to landfill.
A quicker turnaround at MBT plants means more baled waste can now be recycled and turned into renewable electricity.
PlasLOC can be manufactured at 20% the cost of steel wire and since its launch in September it is being rolled out to DR Baling’s European customers.
A launch into the American market is planned for 2016.
DR Baling managing director Peter Robinson, who privately funded the two-year R&D project, said PlasLOC was born out of a need to diversify in the face of cheap foreign imports.
He commented: “DR Baling has spent 50 years at the forefront of baling wire manufacture, but it has become increasingly difficult to compete against subsidised foreign steel imports, notably from Spain.
“It has been a long journey to develop this product and ensuring the correct tensile. We’ve developed the plastic extrusion and downstream processes in-house and by applying expert knowledge, we’ve developed a pioneering product with unique tensile, stretching, heating and coiling properties.”
