Primeur

How recycled rubber is driving change within garden retail

Consumers have been requesting more environmentallyconscious products for some time now, with recycled or recyclable material often top of the wish list. However, in recent years, there has been a definitive shift in this demand, with consumers now expecting far more from suppliers, as the scale of the global environment crisis has been fully realised.

Rubber tyres may not immediately spring to mind when you think of the biggest contributors to climate change issues, but they certainly have a role to play. Each year, the UK uses over 40 million tyres, resulting in 40 million old tyres being turned over to landfill or recycling schemes. Those that make it to landfill can take upwards of 80 years to decompose. Not only does this mean that large areas of land are required to create landfills for waste management purposes, but decomposing tyres can also leech toxic chemicals back into the local eco-system, as well as posing a possible fire risk, if stored incorrectly.

But all is not lost! Many tyres are now heading to recycling plants, where they are transformed into recycled rubber crumb. This crumb, traditionally used to create softer flooring in children’s playgrounds, has quickly been recognised for its wider benefits –including creating lightweight, durable and flexible products. Rubber doesn’t crack, fade, stain or rot, and is also slip and nylon-cord resistant, making products in the range a top choice for garden products. The rubber also acts as an insulator, helping plant roots to survive plummeting winter temperatures.

Realising these incredible benefits was the driving force behind the creation of Primeur’s multi-award-winning Eco Garden collection. Launched in 2016, the offering, which includes self-watering planters, stepping-stones, garden borders and decking solutions, has witnessed a phenomenal response from both consumers and retailers; the latter enjoying the reduced wastage and breakage costs that are the result of the material’s ability to withstand transit and relocation stresses.

Each year, the Primeur Eco Garden collection is repurposing millions of recycled rubber tyres; breathing new life into this material and creating good for both the circular economy and for consumers who want something durable, long-lasting and trend driven.

The Eco Garden collection, extended in both 2019 with the introduction of the self-watering Tierra Verde planters and in 2021 with the all-new MultyDeck™ offering, now includes the widest collection of design-led stepping-stones, garden borders, and deck tiles; all in a variety of colours to match current interior and exterior trends. The complete collection is supported by tailored merchandising support, designed to help each retailer identify their best-selling lines and to optimise visibility of these product groups.

Further developments for the 2022 season see Primeur introduce increased levels of recycled packaging into the Eco Garden offering, enhancing both product and transit packaging. Where it is not possible to use recycled material, Primeur is working hard to source material that can be recycled after use. In addition, the team is also working closely with its retail customers to maximise pallet loads to reduce the number of trucks on the road. This streamlined process is paying dividends for Primeur and its retailer customers up and down the country – but, more importantly, the planet.