Globally, 73% of beach litter is plastic. What makes this statistic even more troubling, is that it is estimated
that plastic can take at least 450 years to break down.

Oltco, the UK’s leading sustainable resin-bound driveway specialist, has recycled the equivalent of an
incredible 500 million plastic straws using its world-first sustainable resin-bound solution, Recycle Bound.

It all began in early 2019 when two innovative entrepreneurs from Cornwall, Tom Stringer, and Johnny
Pearce, had a brilliant idea to tackle the global plastic waste crisis head-on whilst walking along a beach that was littered with plastic. Fast forward four years, Recycle Bound has not only recycled over 500 million plastic straws but has also become a favourite for driveways and pathways across Oltco’s 50 national franchised areas, including at several leading attractions.

Tom Stringer, Co-Director of Oltco, comments: “Growing up in Cornwall, Johnny and I saw first-hand the
devastating effect plastic waste was having on our coastline. We grew increasingly concerned about the
wider impact it was also having on our planet and we decided to do something about it.”

Recycle Bound is made using waste plastic sourced from recycling points. Think straws, plastic drink bottles, and food packaging. Each square metre of this groundbreaking solution contains the equivalent of 3,000 plastic straws. So, if you laid Recycle Bound on a standard 70m² drive, the equivalent of 210,000 plastic straws will be recycled in one go.

Recycle Bound has achieved national recognition, winning multiple awards including ‘Product of the Year’ at the Cornwall Business Awards, runner up for ‘Recycled Product of the Year’ in the National Recycling Awards and ‘Sustainability Warrior’ at the HSBC British Franchise Association Awards, an award category that was created specifically for Oltco to recognise its sustainability achievements.

Johnny Pearce comments: “We launched Recycle Bound in 2019 and now, four years later, we have recycled the equivalent of 500 million plastic straws which is incredible. It is so exciting and rewarding to see so many of our customers, both domestic and commercial, opting for Recycle Bound.

“Hitting 500 million plastic straws after four years is a huge milestone and one that we are incredibly proud of. We won’t be stopping here as the number of plastic straws that are recycled in our Recycle Bound installations increases every day. Here’s to the next 500 million.”

Recycle Bound has been installed at various leading visitor attractions across the UK including the Eden Project, National Trust Sheffield Park & Garden, Bodmin Jail Hotel, Blackpool Sea Life Centre, RHS Harlow Carr, and the location of the G7 Summit, Carbis Bay Hotel. To date, Oltco has recycled the equivalent of 1.7 million plastic straws in the resin pathways at the Eden Project.

Tom and Johnny never rest on their laurels and are always looking for ways to expand their sustainable product offering. This determination resulted in the launch of Recycle Base in 2021.

Recycle Base is a ground reinforcement system made utilising low-grade plastic, including ocean waste plastic.

Oltco has found that the average installation is 70m², and when using Recycle Base, this would use the equivalent of a ton of waste ocean plastic, which is the equivalent of recycling 2.5 million plastic straws. In most cases, this waste plastic would have been incinerated, producing over a ton of carbon dioxide. So, by opting for this product, customers will be carbon offsetting an amount that is the equivalent of planting six trees