Green Mango Policy Statement 

We recognise that Mangostone is part of an industry which is fundamentally wasteful and relies on the use of many materials and chemicals which have a problematic impact on the environment in their manufacture, use and disposal.

Mangostone is committed to leading the industry in minimising the impact of its activities on the environment. Our efforts at mitigation can be summarised in three areas: purchasing, waste and energy.

1.     The selection and purchasing of materials

• We engage with clients about the use of biodegradable materials in preference to non-biodegradable materials - for example using cardboard tubing rather than plastic tubing and using natural materials such as plaster, jesmonite and latex over GRP and resin.

• We encourage the use of recycled materials when they are available, for example ‘Greencast’ 100% recycled acrylic sheets, ‘Foamalux Eco’ 80% reclaimed foam PVC.

• We collect and re-use packaging materials and only buy biodegradable packaging – felt blankets and twine, cardboard, paper tape, starch fillers, bio plastic bags and bio bubble wrap.

2.     Dealing with our waste

• All standard recyclable waste, ie cardboard, paper, plastics, glass, metals, fabric is separated into dedicated bins and disposed of by a specialist contractor.

• All remaining waste is removed by ETM and processed through its £4m recycling plant at Ashton Vale minimising the amount that ends up in landfill.

• All Polystyrene offcuts are collected into large bags and returned to the manufacturer for reprocessing.

• We reload the spools with filament on our FDM 3D Printers and all PLA waste is recycled via a specialist contractor.

• Timber offcuts are cut to stove length and used for heating.

• Any useful waste materials are donated to the Bristol Scrapstore for reselling.

 3.     Energy Use

• With help from a Green Business Grant awarded by West of England Combined Authority we have installed an array of solar panels on our roof, estimated to generate 22658 kWh annually which is around 80% of our annual usage. The remaining electricity is purchased from a supplier that deals only in 100% renewable energy.

• We have stripped out all the incandescent lighting from the workshops, canteen and offices and we have fitted LED strip lighting and panels throughout the building. 

We are committed to the research and development of sustainable technologies and materials. We have developed a close  working realtionship with the the Centre for Print Research at UWE and recently we employed an intern to audit our materials usage and research alternatives and recycling strategies.

 We are constantly reviewing our activities, the products we buy, and the disposal of our waste, to make sure that we are doing as little harm to the planet as practically possible. We were delighted to be asked by Aardman Animations to make the props for this Greenpeace film, part of a campaign to protect the oceans.