An award-winning Derbyshire sustainable furniture business, known for creating outdoor furniture from recycled plastic, is introducing an innovative digital platform for memorial benches called ‘My Place and Story’.
TDP Ltd, based in Wirksworth, recently received the prestigious King’s Award for Sustainable Development. With ‘My Place and Story,’ they offer a unique way for those purchasing their commemorative benches to add a QR code. When someone sits on the bench and scans the code with their phone, they can access the life story of the person being commemorated.
The QR code can also be used to record information about the place where a bench has been situated, with one of the first examples being Shipley Country Park in Derbyshire.
One of the first life stories commemorated on their benches is that of former Welsh international rugby player Brian Davies, whose bench is located outside the rugby clubhouse at Pentrych near Cardiff. Passersby can now learn about Brian’s life and the significance of his memorial bench through the QR code.
TDP’s benches are made from 100% British recycled plastic, in line with the company’s commitment to sustainability. Each order comes with a certificate detailing the amount of plastic saved from oceans and the reduction in CO2 emissions.
A Dale Commemorative bench, for example, contains recycled waste from 36,985 plastic bottle tops, stopping 1.49 cubic metres of plastic from going into landfill. Environmentally speaking, the saving is the equivalent of a 975 mile car journey – around the distance from London to Florence in Italy.
Rob, one of the company’s owners, emphasised the importance of creating lasting memories with their furniture. The unique digital platform ensures that these memories will endure for generations to come, contributing to cultural history.
Rob also highlighted that using recycled plastic not only produces long-lasting, durable furniture but also helps preserve the stories of people’s lives.
Find out more about TDP’s My Place and Story scheme on the TDP website.
