Turning Waste into Opportunity

Commenting on Global Recycling Day 2026, Andy Leah, General Manager at Duraproducts, said: 

 

Global Recycling Day’s theme this year is ‘Don’t Think Waste. Think Opportunity, which mirrors an important change in how the construction sector approaches the materials it uses. At Duraproducts, we see that opportunity every day by transforming thousands of tonnes of waste polymer into kerbing and combined drainage products used across civil engineering projects. 

 

As reducing and offsetting environmental impacts becomes a fundamental part of project design, specifying products with high recycled content can play a key role. It not only helps reduce waste and lower carbon emissions, but also creates sustained demand for recycled materials, encouraging innovation and enabling the industry to recycle materials that may once have been considered unrecyclable. 

 

Circularity in such materials underpins our approach, from responsibly sourcing materials and improving energy efficiency across our processes, to reducing waste and maximising the use of recycled content in our products. By prioritising environmentally responsible manufacturing, we aim to minimise our supply chain’s impact while helping deliver lower-carbon infrastructure solutions. 

 

Our products are designed with this in mind; for example, our flagship product, Durakerb, offers a 50% reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional materials, while Duradrain delivers approximately a 25% reduction. These improvements demonstrate how material innovation can support more sustainable construction without compromising durability or performance. 

 

For the construction sector, recycling is no longer just good environmental practice. It represents a real opportunity to rethink how infrastructure is designed, specified and delivered.