UK DIY News
ProplexRE Launches at Wickes: Sustainable Protection Made Simple

It’s not often that a product launch feels like a genuine turning point, but this one does.
During the summer, I was invited by Protec to meet their team and visit their production site near Sheffield. They were keen to show me their latest innovation: ProplexRE, made from a minimum of 60% post-consumer recycled polypropylene, and fully recyclable temporary protection board designed to protect both projects and the planet.
Built for Performance. Designed for the Planet.
At Protec, the mission has always been clear, to help reduce the construction sector’s environmental impact through sustainable products and responsible manufacturing.
ProplexRE is made entirely from recycled plastic, providing the same robust protection for floors, walls and surfaces that professionals expect on-site. But what makes it truly exceptional is what happens once the job is done.
Through Protec’s ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme, used boards can be collected, processed and remanufactured into new ProplexRE sheets, keeping materials in use and waste out of landfill.
That commitment has led to the creation of the UK’s first GreenCircle Certified ClosedLoop Remanufacturing Scheme for temporary protection; a pioneering system that transforms used protection materials into new, sustainable products.
This independent GreenCircle certification verifies that Protec’s ClosedLoop scheme is a true closed-loop, post-consumer recycling process for Proplex® boards returned from site by customers.
Recycling materials for ProplexRE
It’s a UK first and a major milestone in proving that sustainable construction materials don’t just belong in the future; they’re here now.
In a construction industry still grappling with sustainability targets and waste reduction, this is a model that demonstrates how circular thinking can be both practical and commercially viable. It’s not about offsetting impact — it’s about designing waste out of the process entirely.
A First for Wickes Customers
Now available in Wickes stores across the UK, the launch brings one of the most sustainable and circular protection products in the market right to the high street, making it accessible to everyone from professional builders and tradespeople to serious DIYers.
The ProplexRE Protection Sheet
For Wickes, this partnership represents another major step forward in sustainable retailing. By stocking ProplexRE both in-store and online, Wickes is giving customers direct access to a professional-grade protection product that helps them deliver high-quality results while supporting their environmental goals.
👉 You can see the product on the Wickes website here: Protec ProplexRE Trade Surface Protection Sheet
It’s a partnership that combines Protec’s innovation and manufacturing expertise with Wickes’ nationwide reach, showing that convenience and sustainability can genuinely go hand in hand.
This is the circular economy in action, reducing plastic waste, strengthening recycling infrastructure and demonstrating true leadership in sustainable merchant solutions.
Protec’s Sustainability Strategy
Sustainability isn’t just part of Protec’s product offering; it’s embedded within the company’s entire approach to doing business.
Protec’s sustainability strategy and roadmap provide a clear and structured framework for managing environmental impact, setting defined actions, targets and timelines on its journey to becoming a net zero business by 2050.
But their ambition extends well beyond the environment. The company’s ESG approach also commits to strong governance and the proactive creation of social value ensuring every decision, partnership and practice delivers a positive impact for people, the planet and the communities they serve.
In recognition of this commitment, Protec’s combined ESG performance has been independently rated Bronze by EcoVadis, placing the business within the top 35% of all global companies assessed in 2024.
It’s further proof that Protec isn’t just leading on sustainable products — it’s leading on how a responsible, modern manufacturing business should operate.
Final Thoughts
Circular, closed-loop systems like ProplexRE move sustainability from theory into practice. They solve real problems for customers - cutting waste, reducing carbon, and creating meaningful environmental progress without adding complexity.
By partnering with Wickes, Protec has brought sustainability into everyday retail, making it as easy to buy into circularity as it is to buy a sheet of protection board.
It’s a simple, smart, and powerful idea and a model for how our industry can turn sustainability from a target into a tangible reality.
Source : Steve Collinge
Image : Protec

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