Envirolast – eco-friendly rubber products for a greener future

Here at Martin’s Rubber, we are renowned for our innovative solutions when it comes to rubber engineering. The disposal of manufactured rubber products can have a negative effect on the environment. We recognise this and, as a result, we’re developing a way to recycle end-of-life products within our manufacturing. We call it: Envirolast.

Envirolast is our way of committing to the development of sustainable materials in order to reduce the negative impact on our planet. We’re aiming to ensure that up to 50% of the material we use in our new products is eco rubber. Through rubber recycling we aim to make a difference, and, in this article, we explain how.

The challenge of rubber recycling

Producing eco-friendly rubber products is not simple. Unlike plastic recycling, you can’t just melt down the materials and re-use them. The difference between the two comes down to the differences in their molecular structures.

The molecular chains in plastics rely on intermolecular forces to form their solid structure. When this is heated, these forces are weakened and the material can deform. With rubber, the molecular structure is different in that the molecules are joined using covalent bonds formed during vulcanisation that are permanent in structure. This gives rubber its flexibility and the ability to reform to its original shape once pressure or tension is released.

Over the years, there have been many attempts to find a successful way of reforming rubber that has ultimately ended in failure. Here at Martin’s Rubber, we were able to develop a solution that not only reverses the state of rubber compounds but also enables us to recycle rubber and fulfil our commitment to producing eco-friendly rubber products. It’s called the Remould™ process.

Innovative rubber recycling

Envirolast is our unique range of eco-friendly rubber compounds that contain up to 50% recycled rubber material. It is our way of supporting the reduction of waste and, in the process, our environmental footprint.

Our eco rubber products can be put through the recycling process indefinitely, using our Remould™ process. Here the molecular bonds of the materials are broken down to the point where the material is reusable. We then combine this with a virgin rubber compound and put it back through the moulding process, so that it behaves in the same way, forms new bonds and changes the substance’s molecular structure. Once this is complete, the end result is a new rubber product.

By choosing to reuse end-of-life products we are taking a step in the right direction when it comes to a greener planet. We are also retaining the high standards you can expect from all of our moulding compounds, delivering reliable, repeatable physical properties with a high-quality finish.

To learn more about our eco-friendly rubber recycling range, visit the Envirolast section of our website. Recycled rubber for a greener future.