2020-09/image-from-treetops-post-200420

The firm has donated thousands of environmentally-friendly infection control bags to frontline medical staff in the West Midlands and across the country to help prevent the spread of the virus.

The bags dissolve in the washing machine on a 60°C cycle, allowing health and care workers to safely transport their clothes straight from the workplace for washing at home without potentially exposing other surfaces or individuals to the virus. 

In the West Midlands, staff at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Moseley Hospital, Acorns Children’s Hospice, West Heath Hospital, and BMI Edgbaston have received donations of the bags.

Visiting the company’s purpose-built facility in the city on Thursday 3rd September 2020, Birmingham City Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward highlighted the significance of Aquapak’s contribution to the fight against Coronavirus. He said:

“Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve seen a number of manufacturers in Birmingham and the West Midlands rise to the challenges to produce life-saving equipment and protective gear for frontline key workers. 

“Aquapak’s selfless ingenuity is a particularly impressive example of the critical support given to the medical industry at this challenging time, and one that captures our city’s spirit of innovation and community.

“As we look to recover the regional economy, our unique position as both a leading centre for manufacturing and healthcare excellence will allow us to foster more cross-sector collaboration such as this, which will ultimately help us protect and create jobs to bounce back stronger.”

The bags are made from Aquapak’s revolutionary plastic polymer technology Hydropol, which is recyclable, marine-safe and soluble in warm or hot water.

The material is inherently biodegradable, making it a sustainable, environmentally-friendly solution with multiple end-of-life options and applications.

Designed to reduce pollution from single-use plastics, Hydropol presents significant opportunities for the packaging, retail, hospitality and food product industries to reduce typically non-recyclable waste.

Aquapak’s current client base spans markets in the US, EU and Asia, supplying products such as garment bags, disposable gloves, laundry bags and food refuse bags.

The firm relocated to its current site in Rubery, Birmingham, in 2017, where they invested in a purpose-built 50,000 sq ft facility offering the capacity to produce in excess of 30,000 tonnes of Hydropol, with the option to increase to 50,000 tonnes pending demand.

Mark Lapping, Chief Executive Officer at Aquapak, said:

“The West Midlands is a well-known hub for manufacturing in the UK, with many world-firsts discovered in the region. It is exciting to be part of this legacy with our own world-first product, which we are pleased has been so beneficial during the current global health crisis.”

Read more about the region’s established manufacturing expertise here.

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