Over half a million of recycled plastic straws are paving the way to a brighter future at SEA LIFE Blackpool

The attraction has used a huge 540,000 straws to create a new floor for visitors to walk as they make their way through the mirage of tunnels and rock pools housing some of the UK’s rarest creatures. 

The floor has been made from Recycled Bound, the world’s first sustainable resin. Recycle Bound is made from waste plastic - straws, bottles and food packaging - which is sorted, crushed and granulated down to grain. The grain is then mixed with Oltco’s resin to create the floor surface.  

Oltco, the UK’s leading supplier and installer of resin solutions, took four days to install SEA LIFE Blackpool’s new 180 sq m floor and it even depicts turtles and sharks as visitors make their way round.  

At the end of its life the floor can be broken down and reused, where an average of 70m2 per recycled base could offset one tonne of CO2, the equivalent of planting six trees. 

Tony Marks, Attractions Manager at SEA LIFE Blackpool, said: “Scientists estimate that up to 26 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean each year, killing millions of marine creatures. SEA LIFE Blackpool is committed to tackling plastic waste in everything we do. When it came to investing in new flooring, Oltco’s Recycle Bound solution was ideal, as it was designed to tackle the issue of plastic waste, aligning with what we are trying to do through our monthly beach cleans and conservation projects. 

“The floor has been made using the equivalent of 540,000 plastic straws - plastic that could have ended up in the ocean! Not only is it environmentally friendly, its one-of-a-kind SEA LIFE design, looks incredible too.”