Fifty years of circular economy: Centriforce marks milestone

LIVERPOOL, England, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Centriforce Products Ltd has been converting post-consumer and industrial plastic waste into a wide range of damage prevention products since 1976. As the world scrambles to reach net zero, this Liverpool manufacturer's founding principles read like a sustainability playbook written half a century early.

Founded as Chisholm Plastics, Centriforce has manufactured exclusively from post-consumer recycled plastic since its inception. The business model was built on taking plastic already used (bottles, carrier bags and industrial packaging) and transforming it into something durable, functional and commercially valuable.

Today, Centriforce is the UK's market leader in recycled plastic protection products, supplying the utilities, construction, agriculture and engineering sectors and exporting to over 50 countries.

Its core products, from Stokbord®, the UK's leading recycled plastic sheet, to the recently launched Protrack™ ground protection mat range, are made entirely from 100% recycled post-consumer and industrial plastic that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Products manufactured at its six-acre Liverpool site protect underground electricity cables, water mains, gas pipes, fibre-optic networks and agricultural infrastructure across the UK and beyond. Stokbord® and Tapetile® are specified by major power, gas and telecoms network operators to protect buried infrastructure across the UK and the world.

As the company marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, it does so against a backdrop that has fundamentally shifted in its favour. Procurement frameworks now contain explicit requirements around recycled content, whole-life carbon, circular economy credentials and sustainable supply chain management. What Centriforce built as a commercial model is now a regulatory baseline for others.

"This company was built on the idea that waste plastic could be something useful, something that protects lives, assets and infrastructure. We didn't call it the circular economy in 1976; we just called it common sense," said Jonathan Pearce, CEO of Centriforce.

"The future for the business looks incredibly bright, as we move into new geographical areas, develop new products and play our role in striving to achieve net zero for our planet."

The company's 2026 net zero roadmap targets a greater than 70% reduction in CO₂ emissions through energy efficiency upgrades at its Liverpool site.

As Europe builds its renewable energy infrastructure needed to meet its climate targets, Centriforce is in prime position to help protect every underground cable and pipe across the continent supporting clean energy for the future.