WABA HDPE
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Why do we only work with WABA HDPE? Because it’s lighter than water, durable, inert without any acid effects on the surface and mainly because it’s indestructible.
WABA HDPE is
EcoFriendly
& SuperStrong
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic polymer produced from the monomer ethylene.It is sometimes called “alkathene” or “polythene” when used for HDPE pipes. With a high strength-to-density ratio, HDPE is used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes and plastic lumber. HDPE is commonly recycled and has the number “2” as its resin identification code.
HDPE’s carbon footprint is 5 times better than that of aluminium, the life expectancy of an HDPE boat can easily exceed 40 years Boats built out of HDPE can be completely recycled when reaching end-of-life. Also because of its non-stick properties, there is no need to paint HDPE or to apply anti-fouling.
HDPE is an extremely strong product and has a high-impact resistance and thus ideal for applications that require high strength such as workboats, off-road equipment, etc. You can hit it with a sledgehammer nothing will happen. It is so strong that they make bullet-resistant vests out of it. Scratches can be easily repaired by melting some HDPE on top of the scratch and sanding.
Ultra-Light
Material
No Maintenance
Worry
Fully
Customisable
ECO-Friendly HDPE
South-East Asia has a huge plastic problem.
Seventy-five per cent of globally exported waste ends up in Asia. Southeast Asia in particular has become a dumping ground for wealthier countries waste. After China’s ban, the amount of plastic waste imported to countries like the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia more than doubled. Thailand and Vietnam recently restricted plastic waste imports, with a complete ban planned for in the coming years. These countries’ waste management is also woefully inadequate. Recycling rates throughout the world, but especially in Southeast Asia, remain low. Policymakers in Southeast Asia have yet to prioritise waste management. They need to significantly invest in improving waste infrastructure and facilities. Ultimately, manufacturers need to make products that can be better recycled.
Recreational craft that are at the end of their useful life need to be disposed of in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. This is no small problem. It is claimed that Europe has one of the largest concentrations of recreational craft in the world, with over 6 million in the European Union alone (NVDR: 12 million in the United States right now). It is estimated that as many as 95% of these are made from Fibre Reinforced Plastic.
Because Fibre Reinforced Plastic is highly durable, end-of-life disposal has not been a major issue so far. However, the time is coming when even these boats reach the end of their lives and will have to be disposed of. The consensus among delegates attending a “Sustainability at the Marine Industry” conference held last November in conjunction with METS is that, worldwide somewhere between 35 and 40 million boats are now approaching the end of their life. As regulation is starting to restrict the disposal of FRP to landfill, recycling will become the only realistic option.
Today, in spite of the great advances in waste management in Europe, there is a compelling need to include specific measures related to the management and recycling of boats aimed at:
- ensuring that they are designed and manufactured in such a way as to allow reuse, recycling and recovery to be achieved;
- preventing waste;
- promoting reuse, recyclability and recovery;
- obligating the use of manufacturing processes without hazardous substances;
- improving the environmental performance of all involved in the life-cycle of boats.
In his keynote presentation at the 2016 METS Breakfast Briefing, Steven Beckers, president of the Brussels-based Lateral Thinking Factory, spoke about the benefits of designing boats with a view to being broken up and recycled at the end of their life.
Materials should be used, not consumed, said Beckers. “We need to think of products like boats as raw material banks for the future. Materials appreciate in value over time. Designing boats with an eye to their eventual deconstruction will allow boats to retain greater value at every stage of their life, including the end of it”.
Our Carbon footprint is, of course, a global problem. South-East Asia may not be the main culprit but a fast-growing annual carbon emission of 1200 million metric tons of carbon per year is certainly not negligible.
Due to severe environmental concerns, the use of certain anti-fouling has recently been much regulated.
Unfortunately, the use of biocides in the aquatic environment has proved to be harmful as it has toxic effects on the marine environment. The most commonly used biocides in antifouling paints are Tributyltin (TBT), Chlorothalonil, Dichlofluanid, Sea-Nine 211, Diuron, Irgarol 1051 and Zinc Pyrithione. Restrictions were imposed on the use of TBT, that’s why organic booster biocides were recently introduced. The replacement products are generally based on copper metal oxides and organic biocides.
Maria Alexandra Bighin concluded in her dissertation at the Stockholm University:
This thesis illustrates several concerning aspects regarding the use of AF paints in the Baltic Sea, ranging from the extent of their use by boat hulls, to metal contamination of the biofouling and of the environment and toxicity to non-target species. We have shown that high levels of metals are present in AF paints on leisure boats, sometimes contrary to the regulations, and that these metals are transferred to the biofouling mass which is often discarded on the boatyard soil at the end of the boating season. Moreover, this contaminated biofouling may represent a risk for organisms feeding upon it. Furthermore, we have shown that the use of AF paints is associated with chronic toxic effects on the snail Theodoxus fluviatilis (e.g. reduced reproduction and growth, increased frequency of tissue alterations, increased mortality). We believe that consideration of mixture effects and multiple stressors (e.g. parasites, nutrient levels) in the natural environment is crucial for managing existing and emerging AF contaminants.
- Recyclability : HDPE is accepted at most recycling centres in the world, as it is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle.
- Resistance to marine growth : Thanks to the non-abrasive properties of HDPE, no anti-fouling is required on this material.
- Carbon Footprint :The carbon footprint of HDPE production is 5 times lower than aluminium. HDPE has an “Eco indicator 95” of 2.8mPt, while aluminium has a value of 56.3mPt, the “Eco indicator 95” is a method used to look at the production and life cost of materials, where the lower the value the lower the environmental impact. The energy required to manufacture 1 kg of HDPE is 81Mj/kg compared with aluminium at over 200mj/kg
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Our expertise in boatbuilding, Yard Management, ISO Certifications, Naval Architecture and Maritime Software is able to train and provide a strong technical support.