Protrade launches eco-friendly foil pack in mission to champion a greener future for the construction trade
The business will be giving free applicator guns to professionals who switch to the new packs
Protrade, the East Midlands’ number one supplier of trade tools and construction consumables, has launched its new environmentally-friendly Sumogrip Foil Pack – and will be providing an added incentive for trade professionals to switch to greener products in the future.
A fusion polymer high grab adhesive, designed for virtually any bonding application, the new ‘user-friendly’ foil pack is odourless, 100% solvent-free and does not contain any nasty halogens, isocyanates, or acids.
And while the 400ml foil is physically similar in size to the industry’s traditional 310ml plastic cartridges, it contains approximately 35% more product, making it more economical to buy. Once consumed, the volume of waste is reduced by a massive 95%, leading to substantial savings in waste disposal costs – not to mention the significant environmental benefits.
It’s estimated that approximately two million plastic silicone cartridges are sent to landfill each week.
Protrade is determined to play its part in reducing that number in the future, and in order to help customers make the switch, the business will be giving away a free applicator gun with every box of Sumogrip Foil Packs. The Duo Flow gun works with both traditional mastic cartridges as well as 400ml foil or ‘sausage’ packs.
While designed with the environment at its heart, Protrade’s new Sumogrip Foil Pack hasn’t achieved that by scrimping on the quality of its output.
Designed for both internal and external applications, it boasts a very high initial grab and final bond strength, whilst remaining permanently flexible – meaning no shrinking and cracking over time.
This latest fusion polymer technology has proven to outperform traditional grab adhesives, which have a tendency to ‘skin over’ – especially when bonding larger items such as long lengths of skirting board.
Like other products in the Maxitek Sumogrip range, the new Sumogrip Foil Pack guns out effortlessly, and can also be used for sealing and filling applications – white in colour. Unlike traditional silicone sealants, they can still be painted over once cured. The Sumogrip range of products also adheres to virtually any substrate, in dry or damp conditions – even underwater!
Speaking about the launch of the Sumogrip Foil Pack, Craig Sanders, Protrade’s joint managing director, said: “Approximately two million plastic sealant cartridges are sent to landfill each week and a significant portion of that comes from the construction industry. It’s a scary figure, especially when you consider the options that are available in the market now.
“Foil packs have been around for some time, mainly used in high volume production environments such as the caravan or boatbuilding industries. They have traditionally been 600ml in size, which is too big and cumbersome for many applications. It takes skill to apply sealants, and an unwieldy 600ml applicator gun has been the main barrier to users taking the foil pack concept on-board.
“On top of that, traditional foil-packs have always been 600ml in size. That’s quite substantial and when you apply it to a gun, you are then holding quite a big cumbersome product. It takes skill to apply silicone sealant, but one of the biggest things that hold teams back is how big these products are and how difficult they are to maneuver.
“With that in mind, we made the decision to introduce a 400ml foil, which is the same size, physically, as the traditional mastic cartridges. We have also produced an applicator gun that works with both 400ml foils and standard 310ml plastic cartridges. To encourage customers to adopt the new concept, we are going to be giving these guns away to customers that purchase the new Sumogrip Foil Packs. There are also plans to expand the range of 400ml foil packs. The difference this move will have, in terms of reduced costs and wastage, is going to be significant for UK businesses.
“We know we can’t change the world and everyone isn’t going to start using foil products immediately, but we’ve got to start somewhere. If you can take a popular product, isolate it, and allow consumers to get used to the concept, it’ll eventually become the norm. It can be a long process, but it’s one we are absolutely committed to.”
