A bespoke fencing solution developed by Amcor’s Plaswood business has been selected by Zest Eco, one of the UK’s fastest-growing electric vehicle (EV) charge point operators, for use across its national network of charging sites.
The Plaswood fencing—manufactured from at least 95% recycled plastic and recyclable at end of life where facilities exist—forms part of Zest’s wider strategy to build lower-impact EV charging locations for local authorities, brands, and public destinations. As a Certified B Corp, Zest sought a solution that aligned with its core environmental values while also delivering on durability, maintenance and installation performance.
Working in close collaboration with Zest’s design team, Amcor supported the development of a fencing system that combines long service life with practical onsite benefits. Initial prototypes were trialed and adapted, with the final design using Plaswood Tongue and Groove boards, which are slotted into concrete fence posts for fast, efficient assembly.
Crucially, the specification enables Zest to scale its operations with confidence. Fast installation helps EV sites to be brought online quickly, while the low-maintenance nature of Plaswood gives Zest operational freedom, allowing its team to focus on rollout and network growth rather than site upkeep. In urban environments where wear, weathering and vandalism are high-risk factors, Plaswood’s durability and resistance to rot and weather ensure performance and presentation are maintained without repeated intervention.
In addition to the main perimeter and infrastructure fencing, Plaswood is also supplying gates, offering a uniform and long-lasting solution throughout each site.
“As a B-Corp business with strong ethical and environmental credentials, Zest is always looking to reduce our environmental impact and improve our profitability when we deliver unattended EV charging sites. In the design phase for our community EV charging sites, we recognized that wooden fencing solutions would require regular maintenance and cleaning—especially in many of the tougher urban locations that we serve,” said Simon Wilcox, product manager at Zest Eco Limited.
“Our calculations showed that our operational and indirect customer experience costs would be lower over time if we used a modern alternative to wood. The use of recycled plastic and the recyclability of Plaswood products at end of life gave us confidence that we could achieve our goals of delivering durable, ultra-low maintenance and attractive fencing that complied with our environmental and practical needs.”
“We worked closely with Amcor’s Plaswood team to develop a range of initial designs and materials specifications for our sites. Our operational and technical delivery team’s ‘real-world’ feedback enabled them to be iterated into a final standard range of pre-built panel kits that could be manufactured on-demand for a wide range of site fencing scenarios. The new fencing system has required some minor changes in working practice for construction contractors—with the help of the Plaswood team, we developed a range of simple guidance and education materials for site operatives that ensure trouble-free installation.”
“The Zest panel designs using Plaswood recycled plastic products are now incorporated in all our site production specifications and are now being installed throughout the UK as our EV charging network grows.”
“Zest required a partner who could match their sustainability ambitions while also scaling with their rapid rollout plans,” commented Alistair Richardson, Business Development Manager at Amcor. “This project demonstrates how technical collaboration and shared environmental goals can lead to practical, high-performance applications for recycled plastic.”
The collaboration also highlights Amcor’s position as a global manufacturer with the capacity and dependability to support ambitious infrastructure programs. With minimal ongoing maintenance and lower maintenance-related impacts compared with timber fencing, Plaswood fencing provides an optimal future-ready solution.
