Recircle, a pioneering company in sustainable rubber waste solutions, has partnered with leading laboratory furniture provider APMG to design and furnish its exciting new laboratories. Collaborating closely with the Recircle team, APMG’s designers developed a blend of mobile and static lab furniture, carefully planned to support the different workloads of the two Biotechnology labs and the Analytical and Physical Testing lab.
End User: Recircle A future-focused company which develops sustainable solutions for the world’s rubber waste. It focuses on giving new life to valuable materials. It helps its customers cut their emissions by using high-quality recycled rubber instead of unsustainable new raw materials.
Main Contractor: Eatock Design & Build (EDB) A turnkey company which delivers spaces to accommodate the needs of the workforce of today and tomorrow, ensuring that each client’s workplace is equipped for the future.
Delivered: APMG delivered the design, manufacture, and installation of three laboratories with:
APMG provided extensive laboratory design support throughout the project, collaborating closely with Recircle’s team and EDB’s project managers. The APMG design team was presented with a virtually blank canvas and listened carefully to what Recircle wanted. By integrating their specific needs and requirements seamlessly into the laboratory design, the collaboration resulted in customised lab spaces that fully meet Recircle’s functional needs. Getting the basics right frees up the Recircle team to focus on innovation.
To enhance functionality, APMG provided Recircle with a range of mobile laboratory drawers and laboratory cabinets, ensuring flexibility in organising supplies and equipment. The mobile furniture allows for easy adaptation and rearrangement of lab layouts as needs evolve.
Including C frame support workbenches offers stability and ample workspace for experiments, analysis, and research activities. This tough benching can accommodate heavy apparatus and equipment with its strength and load-bearing capacity.
APMG utilised durable Trespa® TopLab®PLUS worktops for the lab desks and other surfaces. Known for its resistance to chemicals and impact, this high-quality work surface material offers longevity and reliability. By incorporating Trespa® worktops, Recircle’s laboratories are equipped with lab furniture that will remain functional and aesthetically pleasing for years.
Safety and efficiency were paramount considerations in the lab furniture selection. APMG provided specialised features, including reagent shelving in one of the Bio-Enzyme labs, minimising the risk of accidents and spills.
Three 1800mm fume cupboards designed and manufactured by APMG were strategically placed, ensuring proper ventilation and extraction of hazardous fumes. Additionally, an APMG-made polypropylene fume extraction hood was installed, further enhancing air quality and safety in the laboratory environment.
Occupational safety was prioritised by integrating low-level IPS units equipped with eye wash stations. These units were positioned in the two Biotechnology laboratories, ensuring quick access to emergency eye wash facilities during accidental chemical exposure. This proactive approach to safety reflects Recircle’s commitment to employee well-being.
Recircle’s commitment to sustainability is signalled in its logo, which transitions from black to green. APMG incorporated this reference to its green ethos by using colour-matched green service boxes on the lab desks and green edge banding on the lab furniture. This attention to detail promotes visual harmony and reinforces the company’s brand identity within the laboratory environment.
With powder coating facilities on its Manchester site, APMG can transform any steel lab components to echo a company’s branding. Steel furniture frames, service boxes, handles and other metal components can all be coated in a wide range of RAL colours.
Recircle’s collaboration with APMG has delivered labs which are attractive, functional, easy to move around and support occupational safety. Integrating green edge banding, mobile storage units, specialised workbenches, reagent shelving, fume cupboards, IPS units with eye wash, and durable Trespa® worktops created a new laboratory space that aligns with Recircle’s vision. APMG’s collaborative design support ensured that the lab furniture met Recircle’s needs and showcased its innovative character in developing sustainable solutions for rubber waste.
“We are delighted with our new lab furniture. The labs are bright, ergonomic, and tough! It was a pleasure to work with the APMG team from design to installation. They guided us through our options and made absolutely sure we had not only what we wanted, but what we needed too.
“At every step of the way they were responsive, helpful, and professional. We feel we’re doing important and exciting work to recycle and reuse rubber, and APMG has given us the perfect labs for our mission!”
Christina Ly, Rubber Technology Manager, Recircle