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From Vision to Action: Leading the way in Sustainable Plastic Innovation

Our transformative journey began in March 2016, when we embarked on our partnership with Operation Clean Sweep (OCS). Through OCS, we have made significant strides in reducing plastic pellet loss and protecting our delicate ecosystems.  
 
Pioneering a Sustainable Journey 
Our partnership with OCS represents a strategic shift towards proactive sustainability. In line with the European Commission's efforts to combat microplastic pollution, this partnership is built on the belief that effective pellet containment requires a collective effort involving primary producers, converters, distributors, logistics partners, and recyclers. This collaborative approach lies at the heart of our commitment to making a difference in the battle against plastic pollution. 

Setting New Standards with OCS 
As a business, we have wholeheartedly embraced the Operation Clean Sweep Standard by implementing a comprehensive set of on-site measures meticulously designed to prevent and address pellet spills. This approach not only ensures compliance but also propels us beyond industry norms, solidifying our dedication to creating a cleaner and safer environment. 

Committing to OCS Principles 
Our commitment to OCS goes beyond mere corporate strategy—it is an ethos we share. By taking the OCS Member Pledge, we pledge to uphold the fundamental principles of the OCS Program. We extend this call to action to all our employees, recognising that everyone plays a pivotal role in achieving a collective goal of minimising pellet loss. 

A Global Movement 
Operation Clean Sweep goes beyond industry boundaries—it is a global movement that tackles the critical issue of plastic resin loss. 
We're proud to collaborate with OCS, joining more than 200 likeminded organisations in sharing success stories and best practices to reduce global plastic resin loss. 

Join Us in Pioneering Change 
Understanding the profound impact of preventing plastic resin loss on the well-being of our planet, we want to invite other businesses to join us in the Operation Clean Sweep mission. Be part of the movement towards zero pellet loss and contribute to a cleaner, healthier environment. Together, let's shape the future of sustainable plastics. 
 
Older Updates
New Business Development Manager Appointed At Luxus
27th May 2016
Technical compounder and recycler Luxus, has appointed a new business development manager to help expand its UK and export business.

Jaume Escoriza joins Luxus based in Louth, Lincolnshire from vacuum excavation company, Vac-Ex where for five years he was a general manager. He was responsible for the company’s design, manufacture and sales division, in addition to its growing export business.

In his new role Jaume will build on the compounder’s existing client base that encompasses a diverse range of industries including: automotive; civil engineering; retail logistics; horticulture and safety products.

Jaume begins at an exciting time as the compounder’s €1.4m  EU Eco-innovation funded project to commercialise its advanced thermoplastics (PP) range, Hycolene™ culminates in January 2017. Luxus is therefore seeking new partnerships with Europe’s automakers that require high performance, light-weighting and enhanced life cycle assessment benefits from their composites. Luxus will also be exploring new and emerging market applications for Hycolene™.

Sajid Mohammed, associate commercial director at Luxus said: “We are delighted that Jaume has joined our team at this time. He has a great background when it comes to developing different markets as well as penetrating new applications. We are on course to market our high performance compounds to existing and new clients. So he will play an active role in promoting our brand and securing new business for Luxus.”

Jaume Escoriza explains why he chose Luxus: “I’ve been looking for potential employment in Lincolnshire area; this was the first role that genuinely excited me thanks to a combination of its 51 year pedigree, a strong export focus and being a true leader in its field.

“The lure of learning too, about new innovative thermoplastics products was heightened by the fact that Luxus’ highly specified compounds are engineered with a recycled content. Working for a business that is helping responsible clients to reduce landfill is a great bonus too.”

For further information please visit www.luxus.co.uk

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For further information please contact Sasha Stewart at Straight Talk PR – email: sasha@straighttalkpr.co.uk or tel: 07764 346 896.

Luxus Ltd        

UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for over 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.
 
 
 

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Hycolene™ Proves It's Up To Scratch For ‘A’ Class Surface Pioneer RocTool
20th May 2016

Technical compounder Luxus and RocTool the ‘Heat&Cool’ technology specialists, have announced a new joint collaboration ahead of the Plastics Design and Moulding (PDM) exhibition, Telford, 14th-15th June 2016. (Luxus stand, DO10).

The Luxus Hycolene™ grade 16818 has been selected as RocTool’s preferred high performance PP resin for use with its rapid inductive heating technology. This decision followed extensive lab trials of Hycolene™ versus a standard prime material. These took place at RocTool’s French headquarters last year and subsequently at Luxus’ in-house Technical Centre in March 2016.

RocTool is a pioneer in the very latest in high gloss effects and 3D textures producing a finish that is both premium and unique to satisfy the latest ‘A’ Class surface trends. It therefore required a PP resin that could offer high scratch performance.

Terry Burton, technical manager at Luxus explains: “We found in the lab trials that when RocTool’s induction technology is turned to the higher temperatures it requires; the scratch is far more exaggerated on the resulting moulded part with the standard talc filled material compared to our Hycolene™ product.”

Calypso Beloli, material engineer at RocTool comments: “We’re really enthusiastic to obtain this kind of quality surface with PP. Scratch resistance on a moulded part has been a challenge, but with the selection of the right compound together with our induction system technology means that we can develop new markets.”

Terry Burton, continues: “We’re really pleased to be a RocTool materials partner. The great appeal of Hycolene™ is that is allows manufacturers to satisfy environmental goals thanks to its recycled content (up to 60%) without sacrificing performance – delivering a lighter, stronger and critically a high scratch-resistant finish.”

Hycolene™ is going to feature in RocTool’s future marketing to Tier 1 moulders and manufacturers for the first time through specially tailored 3D holographic High Definition Plastics™ samples later this year.

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Notes to Editors
 
For further information please contact: Sasha Stewart at Straight Talk PR tel: 07764 346 896 or email: sasha@straighttalkpr.co.uk

Luxus Ltd
        
UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for over 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.
For further information please visit: www.luxus.co.uk
 
About RocTool
 
Created in 2000, RocTool is a Technology & Manufacturing solutions provider offering Engineering services and systems. RocTool induction process is fully adapted to plastic injection and composite molding, including multiple configurations to fit with tier manufacturers requirements. RocTool’s Research and Development team is constantly adapting the technologies to more materials including metal. As a ‘Heat and Cool’ technology leader, RocTool offers now High Definition Plastics™ capabilities to plastic moulders and Light Induction Tooling™ to composite part suppliers.
                      
The processes developed by RocTool are used in production by major brands in innovative industries such as automotive, aerospace, consumer products and electronics. They hold many advantages including reduced cycle times, surface quality, light - weighting and performance, therefore resulting in an overall cost reduction of the produced parts for manufacturers.
 
RocTool is listed on the Alternext Paris stock market. Its headquarters and R&D center is situated at Le Bourget du Lac (France). RocTool also has offices and moulding platforms in North America, Japan, Taiwan and Germany.
 
For further information please visit: www.roctool.com
 
An injected part with Luxus PP resin with RocTool technology.
 

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Hycolene™ Delivers Positive Results In Next Stage Validation Trial
16th March 2016

A recent materials validation trial for the development of Luxus’ advanced lightweight, scratch-resistant thermoplastics (PP) range Hycolene™ has shown positive results – demonstrating the composite’s potential to be manufactured at full commercial scale in the future.

Two rounds of production tests took place recently, beginning last month at Luxus’ Lincolnshire based in-house Technical Centre and manufacturing plant, followed by further in-depth analysis at injection moulder, IAC’s laboratory. The tests were undertaken on the column shroud and glove box panel – critical ‘A’ grade auto interior components.

The aim was to enable Luxus to optimise both the process parameters and the screw design of its bespoke Coperion 15 extruder to explore the potential for the Hycolene range. Luxus technicians worked in collaboration with Coperion’s team varying the critical moulding parameters that help to define the operative ‘envelope’ for the Hycolene grade 16818.

Dr Christel Croft, technical director at Luxus explains: “These production tests have helped to increase our understanding of the impact of process parameters on Hycolene’s key product characteristics; enabling us to assess its performance against existing materials on a true ‘like for like’ basis. Our intention was to really push the boundaries to help understand better its true performance at limits.”

The trials concentrated on the following criteria: scratch resistance; weight savings; appearance and cycle time. The Hycolene 16818 achieved a substantial weight saving of up to 4.2% against the market’s current lightweight benchmark material. It also delivered improved colour, diminished weld lines and once again, a rapid cycle time for reduced energy usage.

Dr Christel Croft, continues: “We’re very excited about this positive next stage validation for Hycolene following the initial trial in September 2015. The benchmark material we used is excellent itself, which means our results for Hycolene are very encouraging. It confirms our ability to produce the range at full commercial scale with the expected benefits still of weight saving, excellent scratch performance and the high quality appearance demanded by OEM’s for ‘A’ grade applications.”
 
Hycolene is a faster cycling range of scratch resistant, lightweight (PP) compounds that help deliver improved Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), featuring up to 60% recycled content. The range has been developed to target Europe’s automotive interior trim market, by helping to satisfy both ‘end-of-life’ vehicle (ELV) and emissions targets.

Luxus announced in 2015, that it had as part of a consortium secured a €1.4m investment, co-funded by the EU Eco-Innovation initiative, part of the EU’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP). Its members are injection moulding company IAC for materials trials, twin screw manufacturer Coperion for technical support and Jaguar Land Rover offering end user guidance.

For further information please visit www.recyclite.eu

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Luxus Ltd        

UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for over 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.

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Luxus And Polypipe Support The Next Plastics Generation With Apprenticeship Scheme
20th January 2016

 
Industry leading technical compounder and recycler, Luxus and its partner plastics piping manufacturer Polypipe have launched a ‘Compounding Polymer Apprenticeship’ scheme to help solve the ‘skills gap’ in the plastics industry.
 
The first group of three apprentice technicians – Callum Ely (16), James Laurence (22) from Luxus and Kamil Ostrowski (22) from Polypipe have begun the new two year multi-site apprenticeship in polymer processing. It is delivered in partnership with training provider, Solutions4Polymers and funded by Cogent.
 
The new scheme is part of the Government’s ‘Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standards’ initiative launched earlier this year. Its aim is to help develop apprenticeships in direct consultation with employers to ensure that training is directly relevant to industry needs.
 
The long standing industry partners, Luxus and Polypipe decided to be ‘early adopters’ of this initiative as there is a genuine lack of apprenticeships and training dedicated to polymer processing - particularly at the sub degree level. The new scheme will offer therefore an effective means of developing the skills of their workforce.
 
Simon Thompson, Quality Manager at Luxus, comments: “We are really pleased to offer this new scheme to our technicians. It has been widely reported that we are facing a chronic skills shortage in engineering talent in the UK, which is particularly acute in the plastics industry.
 
“This partnership with Polypipe will benefit the apprentices from both businesses. They will be able to learn about the various types of thermoplastics and their processing characteristics in our ‘state of the art’ Technical Centre right through to subsequent processes; such as injection moulding to develop the finished pipe component at Polypipe’s Horncastle plant.
 
“It will not only help ensure the availability of skilled staff in the future, but most importantly, it will provide the opportunity for us to award the progress our apprentices make too.”
 
Andy Barnard, Managing Director at Solutions4Polymers, said: “Although engineering training is well catered for, we have seen the need for industry specific plastics processing training in the market. We are therefore, pleased to help develop a scheme from scratch and are looking forward to seeing their progress over the next two years.”
 
If you are interested in a career with Luxus please visit: www.luxus.co.uk

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Notes to editors

For further information please contact: Sasha Stewart, Straight Talk PR, tel: 07764 346 896 or email: sasha@straighttalkpr.co.uk

Luxus Ltd        
UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.

Polypipe Group Plc
Polypipe is the largest manufacturer in the United Kingdom, and among the ten largest manufacturers in Europe, of plastic pipe systems for the residential, commercial, civils and infrastructure sectors by revenue. We operate from 16 facilities in total, and with over 20,000 product lines, we manufacture the United Kingdom's widest range of plastic piping systems within our target markets. We primarily target the UK, French and Irish building and construction markets with a presence in Italy and the Middle East and sales to specific niches in the rest of the world.

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Jim Ballantyne Says Goodbye To Plastics
22nd December 2015

 
Business Development Manager, Jim Ballantyne retires this week after 15 years with leading technical plastics compounder and recycler Luxus.
 
In 2001 Jim Ballantyne joined Luxus from a plastics closure business. He had always been interested in the technical side of things, understanding how things work. This new role was to allow him the scope to explore technological boundaries within a sales role like never before.
 
At the time he was well placed to help spearhead a new era for Luxus which saw the compounder accelerate from supplying entry level black grades to the development of sustainable thermoplastics (PP) to satisfy critical class ‘A’ finish auto components.
 
Jim Ballantyne explains: “We quickly moved from offering colour matched polymer compounds for low level visible interior applications to upper cabin visible interior applications.
The challenge was to convince the client that compounds with recycled polymer didn’t mean a problematic product.
 
“To help achieve this technical leap, considerable innovation and consultation with the client was required to deliver a repeatable product with appropriate tensile, impact, scratch resistance and other properties required to meet quality, plus performance standards – all this from a recycled content thermoplastic (PP), not prime.
 
“Inevitably the automaker’s requirements became more complex, challenging us to deliver increasingly technical materials as specifications quickly evolved. ‘Cost down’ of course remained important, but so too were the technical attributes of the material - we needed to constantly innovate.”
 
Peter Atterby, Managing Director, Luxus, comments: “Jim has been instrumental in moving Luxus forward into the 21st century as a leading technical compounder. His relationship building skills across varied stake holders in the automotive arena has helped Luxus establish our reputation and credentials as a leading supplier within this challenging sector.
 
“It has been a pleasure working with Jim over the years and I have enjoyed the experience on both a professional and personnel level.  I’d like to thank him for his contribution to the company and wish him all the very best for the future.”
 
For 10 years Jim Ballantyne had sole responsibility for business development across many diverse markets until the sale team inevitably grew. Today, Luxus remains at the forefront of technical innovation with the development of the new Hycolene™ range, which features next generation additives to meet automakers stringent light-weighting and CO2 reduction requirements.
 
As for the future, Jim Ballantyne believes the greatest change to the industry now will be globalisation.  “A reducing ‘pool’ of both suppliers and manufacturers means materials specifications are now adopted on a global, not local scale. Automakers can pick up and drop production lines regardless of location.
 
“We believe therefore, the next step to stay ahead is via knowledge transfer, to offer our Hycolene™ technology to selected European compounders through license agreements for the first time. This means Luxus will be well placed to offer a truly global materials supply solution.”
 
In his retirement Jim Ballantyne will be overseeing his very own ‘grand design’, he will be project managing the development of a brand new home in the centre of Louth.

Ends
 
Notes to editors

For further information please contact: Sasha Stewart, Straight Talk PR, tel: 07764 346 896 or email: sasha@straighttalkpr.co.uk

Luxus Ltd        

UK leading independent technical plastics recycling and compounding company Luxus has been developing highly specified thermoplastics compounds based on prime and recycled feedstocks for 50 years. Luxus is a key supplier to the major names in the global auto industry and it was the first and still is the only UK business to achieve approval for its recycled grades in car interior trims.
Luxus also offers specialist ‘closed loop’ and ‘open loop’ recycling services to manage ‘end of life’ post industrial and consumer waste for the retail transit packaging, construction and local authority wheel bin markets.
 

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Rob Flynn Retires After 22 Years With Plastics Processor
Rob Flynn (65) from Louth retired this week after 22 years with Lincolnshire based technical plastics recycler and compounder Luxus Ltd.

Commenting on his time with Luxus Rob Flynn said: “It has been a pleasure working for Luxus these past 22 years and to have had the added benefit of being employed by a major manufacturer based here in my home town, Louth. I’d like to thank everyone for their support; I have always enjoyed being part of the Luxus team.”

Originally from Cumbria, Rob Flynn trained as a joiner restoring antiques furniture before he began his employment with Luxus on the 5th July 1993. He worked initially as an Extrusion Operator, which he did for 10 years before moving to the blending team to broaden his experience.

When asked to give advice to future machine operators he continued: “If you’re thinking of a career in plastics processing you need to get on with everyone, show up on time, work hard, but most importantly, be prepared to listen too.”

In recent years Rob took the decision to semi-retire so he worked instead as a Yard Operative, a role made possible thanks to the support of all his colleagues.

Luxus Managing Director, Peter Atterby, said: “Rob’s continued support has been invaluable over the years. We’d all like to wish him the very best for his retirement.”
Rob now intends to take up joinery once again, but this time for his own interest.

Luxus employs 155 staff and has a turnover of £25m based at the Fairfield Industrial Estate, Louth, Lincolnshire. (www.luxus.co.uk)

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Notes to editors
Image from left to right: Geoff Mountain, Compounding Manager, Rob Flynn, Yard Operative and Peter Atterby, Managing Director, Luxus

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