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GL events Snowdens’ spare marquee sheets get a second life in Africa

By 30/01/2014August 26th, 2016Company news

Ex-rental PVC used to cover the roofs of tents at events is set to be shipped to Africa to protect farmers’ crops after it was donated by marquee suppliers GL events Snowdens.

Around 3,500sqm of PVC – enough to cover a third of a football pitch – is being sent to Tanzania, where it will be used by locals to keep their rice or grain safe from rats and insects.

It will also be used as shelter by families during the country’s rainy season in April and May.
Snowdens replaces the PVC sections on its up-market marquees and temporary structures on a regular basis and so the sheeting, which was used to form roof sections on the company’s frame and pole tents, had been phased out.

It was being stored at Snowdens’ headquarters in Peterborough, ready to be recycled as part of the company’s Think Green environmental programme.

However, the company offered to put it onto a pallet for Northampton-based PSL Recycling Limited, which is collecting PVC on behalf of a third party client in readiness for shipping overseas.
Snowdens’ sister companies, temporary structures suppliers GL events Owen Brown and temporary building specialists Spaciotempo have also donated surplus PVC.

Keith Bishop, Director of GL events Snowdens, said: “Normally, we would arrange for PVC to be recycled to avoid going into landfill, but because this can be both expensive and time-consuming, an opportunity to donate it for such a good cause is a win-win situation.

“We have sent decommissioned equipment overseas before to act as school classrooms in Africa and Bulgaria before, but nothing on this scale.

“The sheeting will be stretched out, cleaned and stitched together before being used again by the farmers in Tanzania. It is a terrific way for us to dispose of unwanted stock and we’re really pleased that they will soon be put to such good use.”