Imagine 8928 Olympic sized swimming pools full of waste – now imagine a hole big enough to fit them all in…….
Sadly, in the UK this amount of waste is being buried beneath our feet each year. Despite growing progress, the last UK Government report stated over 20% of all waste collected was still recorded as being sent to landfills. The demand for smarter recycling solutions is needed more than ever.
What we are doing….
We’re proud to partner with the Leisure Loop Recycling Scheme at Splashpoint Leisure Centre.
The Leisure Loop Recycling Scheme diverts this waste from landfills and recycles it into new leisure products.
Here’s how it works:
Four Step process to recycle pool waste
1) Diverting Pool Waste
Pop the used waste such as flip flops, goggle, pool floats, armbands, kickboards, pull buoys and swim caps in the bins in reception at Splashpoint Leisure Centre
2) Separate, sort and store
The first steps after receiving your waste. Reducing the waste into tiny pieces allows us to form a new version of raw material to work with.
- Step 1 After opening the box we get to sorting the pool waste via material type.
- Step 2 We separate the foam from plastic and divide it by colour, this allows us later to process by type and colour selection.
- Step 3 We now securely store the waste ready to be selected for processing.
3) Shred, clean & granulate
Shredding is the first step to breaking down the materials. Granulating is a secondary process that allows us to break down the materials even smaller.
It’s all about reducing the size! Reducing the waste into tiny pieces allows us to form a new version of raw material to work with.
- Step 1 Select the material via type & colour.
- Step 2 Shred the material down to reduce the size.
- Step 3 High-pressure washing removes residues & dirt.
- Step 4 Now clean, we granulate the waste down even smaller.
4) Closing the recycle loop
Rethinking how things are made. Taking inspiration from other recycling processes we have managed to find new and innovative ways of making products. The first and only out of pool waste. We take pride in creating a product that stands out when others would make something to fit in. Every pair is unique, not one will be the same.
This is one of many products to be made out of pool waste that will create the Leisure Loop and be re-used back in the leisure sector.
How you can make a difference
You can help reduce pool waste by recycling your old pool equipment at Splashpoint Leisure Centre today!
Drop off your used armbands, swim caps, goggles, flip flops, pool noodles, and foam floats at the recycling bins located in reception.
Thank you!
read more on sustainability at South downs Leisure