Pat Fitzsimons, Managing Director of Ecoplastic Recycling Ltd., had been in business for many years in the roadmarking trade (BPF Road Safety Ltd) before entering the recycling market. He saw the vast amounts of plastic packaging waste generated daily by the roadmarking industry, and became concerned that there was no infrastructure in place anywhere in Ireland to deal with it. On researching the problem, he found that almost all plastic waste, from drinks bottles to packaging to used toys was being indiscriminately dumped into landfill along with the other types of waste produced.

"It's too difficult to recycle plastics", he was told, " and there is no real point, as there is no market for the end product. Much of the plastic is too contaminated to be made into the original product again, and there is very little else you can do with it, but dump it."

Pat knew the issue wasn't going to go away - already there were rumblings about the future of landfill space- so he kept his eyes and ears open when his travels on business took him to other countries, to see how they were dealing with the problem. He was crossing the street in Germany one day when he knocked against what he thought was a metal bollard. Although the bollard was as rigid and strong as one made of metal, there was a warmth from its surface that made him stop to have another look. It was made of recycled plastic.

On his return to Annacloy, in Co Down, Pat began to explore the possibilities for his new discovery. Recycled plastic could be made into planks and posts, and used to make a vast number of things that were currently being made from wood. One idea was outdoor furniture - plastic never rots in landfill, and so it wouldn't rot or change when made into a bench or table for outdoors. Pat set up a plant and got to work.

He sourced a team of skilled joiners to try their hand at working with the recycled plastic profiles, and found that it could be treated in much the same way as wood. They decided on a design, produced their first recycled plastic bench, and Ecoplastic Recycling had begun!

Today, that bench has developed into an extensive and innovative range of recycled products, which is widely used by both public and private sectors. Design and development are constantly under review, and the Ecoplastic team proudly boast an ability to make to order, as well as to produce established designs.