Genuit Group Sustainability Director Lee Adcock on what’s blocking the move away from virgin plastics
"Waste to energy is a good thing, but you miss out the bit that you're taking material out of a use phase."
Plastic piping manufacturer Genuit Group has made circularity a cornerstone of its sustainability strategy – but Sustainability Director Lee Adcock says construction sector standards and structural issues in the plastics recovery industry make it difficult to give up on virgin materials.
In 2023, 49.3% of the polymers used in Genuit products – which include pipes, mechanical heat ventilation and extraction, floor heating and magnetic filters for boiler systems – were made up of recycled materials. The company (formerly known as Polypipe) is targeting 62% recycled content by 2025, but Adcock tells CSO Futures that several issues come in the way of the group’s circularity ambitions.
