Manufacturing with the environment in mind
- Our Greener Solutions are designed to improve sustainability in plastic manufacturing (read more below)
- We’re proud to hold a Platinum EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, placing us in the top 1% of assessed companies
- Our environmental management systems are ISO14001 certified
- We’ve installed over 1,700 solar panels on the roof of our factory, reducing carbon emissions
- We develop innovative biomaterials – reducing dependence on oil-derived polymers
- In 2024 we joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative
- Our 2025 Carbon Footprint Analysis can be viewed here
- We’ve published our 2026 Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance Report – click here to view it
Broadway’s Greener Solutions
We offer products and services to support customers in achieving their sustainability goals. Our Greener Solutions deliver a range of benefits, from lightweighting and material reductions, to enhanced recyclability, production efficiencies and home compostability. We work with leading material innovators to create novel materials utilising renewable feedstocks, engineered with sustainability in mind. Get in touch to discuss your latest projects.
MasterFoam™
Use less polymer and reduce your carbon footprint
MasterFoam™ is an endothermic blowing agent. Supplied in masterbatch form, the product works by creating a fine foam structure in the material whilst the polymer is in a liquified state. Tiny pockets of gas mean the moulding material is less dense, resulting in a lighter end component and a reduction in polymer requirements and costs. MasterFoam is proven to reduce cycle times too, enhancing productivity, whilst reducing energy demand and environmental impact.
The utilisation of an endothermic reaction has benefits over the exothermic chemistry of the past. An endothermic chemical foaming agent is less hazardous – it doesn’t release harmful gasses or emit heat, making it a safer choice. There’s also very little chance of an uncontrolled runaway reaction (generating excessive heat). Broadway’s MasterFoam is not an imported, traded product. It was developed by our in-house technical team and is manufactured at our factory in the UK, offering enhanced security of supply.
MasterFoam – Learn More
Summary of the key benefits:
• Reduction in material usage
• Reduction in costs, without any tooling changes
• Reduction in weight of the moulded component
• Reduced cycle times
• Reduced energy demand
• Reduced carbon footprint
• Increased shot/running speed
• Increase in productivity
• Reduction of sink marks
• Improved thermal efficiency of the moulded component
• Improved acoustic insulation of the moulded component
GrapheneXcel™
Improve product durability and lightweight your components
GrapheneXcel™ leverages the unique properties of graphene to improve the performance of polymers used across many industries, including automotive, defence, packaging, and consumer goods. The benefits include significant improvements in strength and durability, as well as improved barrier properties and the opportunity for product lightweighting.
GrapheneXcel is a made to order additive masterbatch, with formulations customised to meet individual customer requirements. Thanks to polymer-specific carrier systems, GrapheneXcel offers compatibility with a range of polymers including polyolefins, PET and TPU.
Summary of the key benefits:
• Improved mechanical strength and impact resistance
• Increased elastic modulus
• Weight reductions (through thin walling)
• Impressive barrier properties
• Favourable processing conditions
• Improved fire retardancy
• Enhanced electrical and thermal conductivity
What is graphene?
Graphene was discovered just 20 years ago at the University of Manchester. This remarkable material has rapidly gained attention for its extraordinary properties. Like diamond and graphite, graphene is composed entirely of carbon. However, uniquely, it consists of just a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb nanostructure. This arrangement includes numerous double bonds, contributing to its exceptional characteristics. Graphene’s atomic structure gives it unparalleled strength – as a single layer it’s the strongest material ever measured, boasting a tensile strength 200 times greater than that of steel. This offers immense potential to a range of industries, including plastic manufacturing.
NIR-Detectable Black
Improve recycling compatibility with our NIR detectable ‘piano black’ masterbatches
High opacity, high gloss black plastics are a popular packaging choice, commonly used to offer products a premium appearance. Carbon black pigments – traditionally utilised to achieve such a finish, present inherent difficulties to the NIR detection systems used at waste sorting plants. They are strong absorbers of radiation both in the visible and infrared regions. This limits the amount of infrared radiation which can be reflected into the NIR detectors, placing considerable limitations on the system’s ability to characterise and sort the polymers. Conservative estimates from industry indicate that 30,000 – 60,000 tonnes of black plastic packaging may be entering the UK waste stream each year as a result of this issue.
The in-house laboratory at Broadway has called upon its extensive experience in colour chemistry to overcome this technical barrier. Our NIR-detectable piano blacks have undergone extensive and successful in-house NIR spectroscopy based tests, returning a distinct and statistically significant spectroscopic signature. Compatible with both PET and PP, these masterbatches produce a high-quality gloss ‘piano’ black finish whilst meeting standard food contact regulations. It redefines what can be achieved when it comes to maintaining a premium appearance, whilst safeguarding the ability to sort the end component in standard recycling waste streams.
We also provide NIR-detectable masterbatches for silver and other dark colours – just let us know your requirements and we’ll formulate a custom solution for you with NIR detectability where required.
Laser Marking Additives
Enables plastics to be etched with industrial lasers
By using this additive masterbatch, the surface of the plastic can be marked directly using an industrial laser. The additive absorbs high-intensity energy from the laser, which heats the polymer and provides a controlled etch. Laser etching can offer various advantages to using paper labels, inks and adhesives in packaging applications. Laser marking is also a great solution for high-touch and long life applications, where information needs to remain legible throughout a component’s lifetime. This additive can be integrated into your colour masterbatch for ease of dosing.
Laser Marking – Learn More
Summary of the key benefits:
• Allows plastics to be marked with industrial lasers, which offers various advantages over using paper labelling
• A solution to provide permanent marks on the surface of plastics
• Flexibility – options for dark marking on light, light marking on dark and colour change marking
• Avoids detection issues during recycling, which can be a problem when processing packaging with large labels
• A cost-efficient option, suitable for a wide range of plastics and meets many common regulatory requirements
Biomaterials
Biomaterials offer end-of-life benefits
Using 100% bio-based sources, we can offer fully biodegradable and compostable biomaterials, providing a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics. We utilise various bio-sourced feedstocks including wood pulp, agricultural pulp, seaweed and wheat straw. Many biomaterials offer home-compostability, degrading in a matter of weeks, without leaving any trace of microplastics. This is a great solution for hard-to-recycle, or single use applications – such as lateral flow tests, protective films and single-use cutlery at events.
We also work with leading material innovators, providing specialist services to enable the development of their biomaterial formulations. Our extrusion expertise, technical knowledge and manufacturing capability can turn your concept into a commercial success.
Technical support
We offer technical expertise to refine formulations for optimum processing and moulding performance. Our laboratory has a dedicated R&D line, perfect for lab trials and formulation development. Our extensive range of in-house testing equipment enables moulded samples to be tested for tensile strength, impact strength and density – providing the data you need on material consistency and performance.
Toll compounding
Whether your formulation is developed by Broadway, or you simply need a compounding partner, we have the infrastructure to support industrial-scale manufacturing of novel materials. Our newest compounding line has multiple gravimetric feeds, enabling the efficient and accurate processing of complex materials with multiple constituents. Underwater pelletising delivers consistent pellet quality, even with materials which would otherwise be hard to stand and cut. Our facility enables biomaterials to be manufactured at scale, with speed, consistency and repeatability.
Biomaterials – key benefits and services:
• Bio-based – derived from sustainably sourced, renewable feedstocks
• End-of-life benefits: biodegradable, compostable, or home-compostable
• Compatible with your existing injection moulding lines
• Can reduce the carbon footprint of your materials (vs using oil-based plastics)
• A solution for single-use or hard-to-recycle applications
• Utilised across multiple market sectors
• Achieve precision mouldings with colouring versatility
• Technical support to develop and refine formulations
• Toll compounding – commercial material production
Bio-Fillers
Lower your dependence on oil-based plastics and achieve a natural aesthetic
We offer a number of bio-filled options, allowing customers to introduce sustainable materials into their mouldings. This reduces dependence on traditional, oil-derived polymer content. It can also offer aesthetic benefits – products with PCR content can often look very similar to those using virgin polymer. With no obvious aesthetic change visible to consumers, the environmental benefits of the product’s PCR content may not be apparent. With bio-filled materials, a more natural aesthetic is often apparent in the end product.
Key benefits:
• A percentage of polymer is swapped for a natural filler, reducing your requirement for oil-derived plastic
• Creates a ‘natural’, textured aesthetic in finished products, which is typically popular with eco-conscious consumers
• Some fillers can improve the mechanical strength of the polymer, as well as lightweighting products
• Can reduce the carbon footprint of mouldings, as well as supporting biodegradability
• Our bio-fillers are sustainable. Many are by-products of other industries, so they don’t require additional resources
• Our natural fillers include harvest waste, crushed egg shells, hemp and bio-marine waste
Odour Neutraliser
Reduce odours in smelly materials
Whilst there are obvious circularity advantages to using recycled materials, there are challenges too, such as the smell! Recycled plastics can come from a range of sources and carry a multitude of contaminants, many of these cause odours which are problematic during production and can remain present in the end component. Even some virgin plastics can carry smells which need eliminating. Whilst these can be masked with a fragrance, this isn’t always desirable, particularly in applications such as toiletries or food packaging. It’s also a temporary solution, which soon fades, meaning end products can still present undesirable odours.
Our R&D scientists invested months of research, exploring odour neutraliser additives for plastics. They consider these a more effective and permanent solution than attempting to mask smells with a fragrance. Specialist chemicals within our new odour neutraliser additives act to absorb and trap VOCs and other odour molecules. This significantly reduces the amount of odorous particles which are released, therefore reducing the perceived smell of the material. We’ve explored a number of functional additives in order to find a commercially viable solution which delivers optimum performance.
Working with PCR
We’re experts in colouring recycled plastics
With the world focused on reducing plastic waste; brand owners, moulders and consumers are rightly seeking sustainable options. PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) plastics offer an obvious solution – reprocessing waste packaging into usable materials for re-moulding. Our colourists are well-versed in colouring PCR, our team delivers dozens of matches for use in recycled plastics every week.
Many brands already enjoy the benefits of working directly with us. Broadway’s colour suite allows you to join us on-site to approve matches. This process means several new colour samples can be approved in a single day, saving time on product development. This facility is particularly useful when colouring recycled plastics. Our team can use a sample of your base material to demonstrate exactly how a specific batch of recyclate will impact the end colour of your moulded component. We’ll produce samples whilst you wait.
We’re also able to formulate masterbatches using PCR carrier resins. A significant proportion of each masterbatch is polymer, so for a brand to legitimately claim their product or packaging is “made from 100% recycled plastic“, their masterbatch must contain a PCR carrier resin (and no virgin plastic). The polymer within the masterbatch will typically form between 0.5% and and 2.5% of the finished moulding, although this can be higher.
Our technical knowledge and passion for innovation helps us support customers in embracing new ideas, developing new products and reducing environmental impact.
Broadway is proud to offer innovative ideas and solutions to our customer base. We strive to be leaders in the fields of masterbatch and compounds by offering not only pigmented and special effect solutions but also by exploring new ideas, technologies, and additives to enhance our product portfolio.
Over the past quarter of a century we’ve invested heavily in our R&D capabilities, no more so than in 2021. The construction of a new R&D and colouring laboratory enables a greater level of innovation – facilitating the development of new ideas, colourants and additive masterbatches. This investment allows us to bring new products to the marketplace in a much shorter timeframe. New analytical equipment ensures our quality control processes maintain the highest standards. This aids compliance, reproducibility, and will assist our customer base in their product development.
Our commitment to investing in R&D extends to our workforce. Our laboratory team – lead by Dr. Stephen Rayner, are experts in their respective fields. Our colourists have vast experience in colouring plastics – coupled with the use of specialist tools and software, this allows us to accurately colour match in a wide variety of polymers and highly colour critical applications. Additional lab space has increased our colour matching capacity, meaning we can complete an ever-increasing volume of matches whilst maintaining short lead times. Our team of QC technicians are integral to our process, along with our dedicated regulatory compliance division who oversee every aspect of our raw materials and finished goods. They’ll ensure our products are compliant with customer specified regulatory standards. They play an increasingly vital role in navigating UK Reach regulations. Such investments are helping us realise our aim of being a trusted partner in our customers’ product development.
If you need a niche masterbatch, compound or roto powder then please let us know. Our market-orientated approach means we always like to hear about the latest requirements, in order to address these needs. If your project presents an opportunity, then Broadway’s technicians can perform development work to create suitable materials to support you. Email: technical@broadwaycolours.com.
Plastic – it’s better than you’ve been told
Given the public perception of plastic created by the media, greenwashing often sees companies eliminating plastics, but sadly replacing them with alternatives which have a more harmful environmental impact. Other materials may use more resources, more water and energy in production, more fuel in transportation and may not be any more recyclable. We believe it’s important for material choices to be based on doing good, not simply looking good in the eyes of consumers.
Nobody wants to see plastic items end up in the environment. But eliminating a material which uses significantly less energy in production than alternatives such as glass and aluminium is not a solution which will provide sustainable benefits for our planet. The relatively low melting temperature of plastics means less heat energy is required in the manufacturing process, reducing CO2 emissions in production. It also reduces weight, lowering energy used in transportation. Plastics used in food packaging are proven to significantly reduce food waste, which in itself is a huge problem for our environment. The British Plastics Federation offers some excellent information on this subject – read more here.
Single use carbonated drinks containers are a good example. We see a lot of publicity about plastic bottles ending up in the environment, but in response people will often ask questions like “What’s wrong with glass?” Well, the answer is that it’s less green than PET. The slide below is taken from research by Polymer Scientist Dr Chris DeArmitt – PhD, FRSC, FIMMM. It contains data from lifecycle analyses. Indeed waste mismanagement needs to be addressed, so we can continue to use the least harmful materials. Carrier bags are another common example where plastics are being replaced with more harmful alternatives. There are many lifecycle analyses which conclude that plastic bags are the greenest choice, contrary to popular belief. More information can be found at plasticparadox.com.
We believe focus must shift from banning plastics to improving recycling infrastructure to sustain their use (in appropriate applications), whilst reducing the plastic waste problem which is so widely reported. We encourage the responsible use of plastics and assist our customers in increasing their use of PCR (post-consumer recycled) material. For branded items this might not result in perfect-looking packaging, but consumers will increasingly turn to products which are manufactured and packaged with the environment in mind. Having the most environmentally friendly product on the shelf beats having the most aesthetically pleasing one. But this is where we come in, as expert colourists we have experience in mitigating the effects of PCR material, helping to ensure products still look appealing, even when using high PCR content. As Broadway’s The Body Shop case study demonstrates.
Plastics offer many other benefits. It’s a material which we can’t live without, despite the bad image it doesn’t deserve.
- Plastics are used in medical equipment – plastic has been a vital material in fighting the Covid pandemic
- Plastics are hugely versatile – there are many critical applications in which only plastics can be used
- Plastics can replace metal components used in automotive applications, reducing weight and increasing vehicle efficiency
- Plastic can be used in insulation to improve the energy efficiency of our homes and offices
- Plastics can reduce the volume and weight of waste going to landfill when compared to alternative materials
- Plastic end of life uses are becoming more innovative – outdoor furniture, retaining walls, play equipment, flooring and cladding
- Plastics are largely recyclable and recycling rates are increasing
- Plastics have a net impact of lowering carbon emissions compared to alternatives – vital in our bid to minimise climate change
Given all the focus on plastic waste, it’s hard to believe that plastics are less than 1% of materials. Single use items are unlikely to be positive for the environment regardless of which material they’re made from. Plastic won’t be the right choice for every application, but the same can be said about every material. We promote the mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle. We encourage brand owners and packaging technologists to study LCAs to minimise the environmental impact of their products. This means not simply overlooking plastics due to negative consumer perceptions and to increase their use of PCR when using plastics. Where plastic is the right choice, Broadway is on hand to help make your products look great.
Got a technical question? Ask our technical team.
Employee health and wellbeing
Flexible Working
We offer a number of flexible working options such as shift rotas, flexible start and finish times and remote working where this is possible. This helps our employees in balancing both work and personal commitments.
Cycle to Work
Our employees have access to the Evans Cycles Ride-to-Work scheme. As well as encouraging a healthy, eco-friendly means of transport, this scheme also allows our employees to benefit from a tax saving on their cycling equipment.
Mental Health First Aiders
We have a number of Mental Health First Aiders at Broadway. They’ve been trained to give them the knowledge and skills to provide support to those who may be experiencing poor mental health or emotional distress.
Learning and Development
Employee development is essential for any successful business. Broadway has continued to invest in training our employees both internally and with the support of external providers.
Broadway Social & Wellbeing Committee
In 2024 we launched an internal Social and Wellbeing Committee. With an annual budget dedicated to employee treats and events, the committee’s mission is to foster camaraderie across teams, promoting employee interaction, engagement, and wellbeing.
Living Wage and Living Hours
We are delighted to be an accredited Living Wage and Living Hours Employer, meaning every employee at Broadway will earn a real Living Wage, not just the government minimum. The real Living Wage is an independently calculated hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living. We believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Hours accreditation builds on the foundation of the Living Wage, ensuring that everyone has the secure working hours they need to thrive.
