Amcor’s recycled plastic restores school access to wildlife pond

Amcor has helped restore a West Yorkshire school’s access to its wildlife pond and woodland learning area using a boardwalk made from recycled plastic. Its October 8, 2026 announcement reports completion of the installation at Hepworth Junior and Infant School.

The previous timber structure had deteriorated in permanently damp conditions. Posts stand in water and the frame sits on mud, making moisture resistance central to the school’s material choice. The replacement uses Plaswood, manufactured at Amcor’s Dumfries facility in Scotland from at least 95% recycled plastic.

The material combines recycled rigid plastic waste with a proportion of recycled agricultural stretch film. Amcor says Dumfries recycles agricultural plastics collected from UK farms, connecting waste recovery with durable outdoor infrastructure applications. The release does not disclose the precise feedstock proportions used in this boardwalk.

Headteacher Mark Crouch says the surface is less slippery than the former timber structure and has made access safer for pupils. He expects the installation to last many years with considerably less maintenance. Those statements are the school’s observations and expectations; the announcement provides no independently measured slip-resistance results or guaranteed service life.

The completed boardwalk restores practical use of a space supporting the school’s curriculum and Forest School programme, including learning about nature, biodiversity and sustainability. Choosing recycled materials also gives pupils a visible example of material reuse.

The project documents an installed application for recovered plastics, rather than a proposed product concept. However, the announcement gives no project cost, plastic tonnage, lifecycle emissions comparison or quantified maintenance saving. Its demonstrated outcome is restored access to the outdoor learning environment.