At a time when cities are taking more and more measures to combat emissions from above all vehicles, the company Synthelast, based in Elche, has developed a pavement that is particularly suitable for playgrounds. can reduce environmental pollution. It is a floor made of recycled tires with photocatalytic properties. Their effects are contrasting and duly approved and have already attracted the attention of many municipalities.
Synthelast was born in 1973, so About to overthrow 50 years of experience. It has been linked to the shoe industry from the very beginning, which is not surprising when you consider that Elche is a powerhouse in this industry. According to general manager Francisco Rodriguez, In its origin, it was devoted to the elaboration of a material for the manufacture of soles., such as polyurethane, which until then was practically unknown to the shoe companies in the region. Later, other elements for the same purpose, such as PVC and rubber, were gradually introduced.
However, it wasn’t until ten years ago when the firm decided to enter the construction industry as well, given that the same materials could be used in this field as well. And all this, according to Rodriguez, based on sustainability criteria. In his own words, “we use our own recycled products, or our customers’ products, in our production, mostly shoe soles, or replace them with non-petroleum products, often derived from oils that have expired and have plasticizing properties.”
In this context, the opportunity to make rubber flooring for playgrounds arose. passed An agreement with the Murcian company Recycled Tires and Rubber (RNC).
As a result, Elche wanted to go a step further and used techniques already used in other industries such as construction itself. achieve decontamination effect on such soils. According to the company’s director, this is a project supported by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), which has a research process of more than three years. “What we were looking for—the director of the company—explains—was applying a specially designed photocatalytic substance called Idsum in our lab to the rubber coating that can break down polluting molecules when exposed to sunlight. It is also effective in the light of street lamps, albeit to a lesser extent».
Its effects were confirmed in field tests, first in the Euphore laboratory and later thanks to the establishment of a playground in Murcia, where this soil is located, according to Rodríguez. It has the ability to reduce nitrous oxide pollution by 16% and even fight viruses and bacteria.. “These are very positive results, especially considering it’s a hit with kids. We are also talking about a context like the present one where cities take measures to combat pollution, even closing urban areas to traffic and reducing emissions produced by vehicles.”
The initiative earned both Synthelast and RNC the prestigious international Silver Broom 2022 award from the Waste Management and Environmental Technical Association (Ategrus). While the pavement in question was already being laid in many Canarian municipalities, it attracted the attention of many municipalities who saw in this material a formula to protect children and contributed to their policies against environmental pollution.
The company’s new product a boost to your growing turnoverAccording to Francisco Rodriguez, they hope to increase the 5.7 million turnover reached last year by 30% this year.