Tarmac switch to new ‘eco’ cement bags

Company first to launch 50% recycled content plastic packaging for its Blue Circle cement products

TARMAC have become the first major cement manufacturer in the UK to move to 50% recycled plastic in their packaging with the roll out of new all-weather, fully recyclable hybrid bags.

Products manufactured at the company’s cement plant packaging facilities in Scotland and Wales are all now in production with the new bag, which continues to offer rip, tear and puncture resistance, as well as providing essential protection against rain and water damage.

Other sites currently producing a 30% recycled content bag are due to switch to the latest packaging in the coming months.

Tarmac’s new packaging also features clearer recycling labelling and information to encourage customers to ‘empty, rinse, recycle’ and dispose of the packaging responsibly. The business estimates that the roll-out across all bagged cement products will result in millions of bags switching to its newer, more sustainable solution.

Gareth Osborne, senior marketing manager in Tarmac’s Cement and Lime business, said: ‘Our Blue Circle products have a proud history of innovation and we’re excited to launch these new eco bags, which are a significant step in our sustainability journey, at the same time as providing the weatherproof and robust packaging that our customers want and need.

‘As one of the leading packed cement manufacturers in the UK, it’s important that we continually take steps to contribute to the circular economy. Increasing the amount of recycled content in packaging materials and helping raise awareness of how our bags can be recycled by customers is a key part of this.’

The move comes following close collaboration between a number of bag manufacturers to produce and trial the new packaging over the last two years, with ambitions to further increase the sustainability credentials of bags in the future.