Video News Release - Tuesday 23 March, 2004 New Lightweight Truck Panels From Recycled Materials

LONDON, March 22 -- ATTN EDITORS: The following script is to accompany a Video News Release from PR Newswire which will be available to all UK broadcasters as follows:

    DATE: TUESDAY MARCH 23, 2004
    TIME: 1030-1045 GMT

    ORIGIN: PA Broadcast, London

    LOCAL ENDS AT BT TOWER, LONDON:

    ZARF175

    STORY: NEW LIGHTWEIGHT TRUCK PANELS
    LOCATION: GAYDON, WARWICKSHIRE, UK

    DATE SHOT: MARCH 19, 2004
    TOTAL DUR: 5'52"

INTRO:

A new lightweight truck body panel made from recycled materials is being shown

for the first time at the Commercial Vehicle Show, which opens in Birmingham on Tuesday (March 23).

Panelplus is lightweight and environmentally beneficial, and offers significant payload capacity benefits, with a weight saving of up to 60% compared to conventional panelling.

- Panelplus has been developed with funding from WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme), the Banbury, Oxon-based not-for-profit company that promotes sustainable waste management by creating markets for recycled waste products

- Panelplus panelling was developed by Europrojects Ltd.,of Rothley, Leics.

- The prototype Panelplus vans are owned and operated by Northgate plc, based in Darlington, County Durham.

SCRIPT:

It's an issue that's vexed transport planners for years - the growth of freight traffic on Britain's roads. Road freight accounts for two-thirds of goods moved, and with van traffic predicted to grow by 25 percent in the next 10 years, the problem isn't about to go away.

But there's a new product on the market that could make a difference. Panelplus is a new lightweight body system that can help cut the number of trucks on the road. It weighs 60 percent less than traditional panelling - allowing operators to carry more payload and make fewer journeys.

It's good for the environment in another way too - Panelplus is made using recycled plastic.

The panels consist of a lightweight core, made from 100 percent recycled material, sandwiched between two layers of polypropylene.

Gerry Boyce is Managing Director of Europrojects, the company that developed the system.

The UK's largest van rental company is already committed to Panelplus. These two prototypes are owned by Northgate plc, which has 70 outlets across the UK.

Using Panelplus, a seven-and-a-half tonne truck can carry an extra 310 kilogrammes of payload. This means a saving of one trip for every 8 to 10 made. Development of the new product was funded by WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme. WRAP is a not-for-profit company that promotes sustainable waste management by creating markets for recycled products.

The Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire was the venue for last week's launch of Panelplus. This week the new system is on display at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham.

Its developers are hoping that one day soon it will be lightening the load on roads up and down the country.

    SHOTLIST:

    A: A-roll

    Duration: 2'30"

    Sound: Ch1 Mix with narration

    Ch2 Natural with English speech

    GAYDON, WARWICKSHIRE, UK

    1. Trucks on road, motorway
    2. Two Panelplus trucks driving into car park
    3. Close ups of sections of Panelplus
    4. Gerry Boyce, Managing Director, Europrojects, looking at sections of 
       Panelplus 
    5. Soundbite (English): Gerry Boyce, Managing Director, Europrojects, 
       saying: "We made the suggestion that you could use the material
       inside a sandwich panel, and we thought it would be a good idea that 
       this would consume a large amount of plastic waste in what would be 
       a standard product."
    6. More of two Panelplus vans driving around test track
    7. Soundbite (English):Tony Hitchens, Head of Marketing, Northgate 
       Vehicle Hire, saying: "We were very, very excited about Panelplus 
       because of the weight saving in the panel. That means our customers 
       can carry more payload."
    8. Panelplus trucks on display at launch event, business people and
       journalists inspecting trucks 
    9. More close-ups of sections of Panelplus
    10. Soundbite (English) Paul Davidson, Material Sector Manager, WRAP, 
       saying: "You're getting a lot more payload on a truck, so you're 
       cutting down vehicle movements as well, so you're seeing essentially 
       less road congestion. Also you're going to be using less fuel because 
       you've got a lighter truck, so there's less fuel consumption and also 
       a reduction in the CO2 emissions as well."
    11. Exterior Heritage Motor Centre, guests inspecting Panelplus trucks
    12. Traffic on motorway

B: Extra interview grabs

1. Gerry Boyce, Managing Director, Europrojects, speaking about benefits of the material used.

2. Tony Hitchens, Head of Marketing, Northgate Vehicle Hire (with set-up shot), speaking about his company's opinion of Panelplus

3. Paul Davidson, Material Sector Manager, WRAP, explaining why WRAP got involved.

C: B-roll

Duration: 2'00"

Sound: Natural with English speech

    1. Extra footage of traffic on road, motorway
    2. Interior of launch presentation by Gerry Boyce, MD, Europrojects
    3. Extra footage of two prototype Panelplus trucks on test track
    4. Vintage cars in Heritage Motor Centre museum.

For enquiries about the VNR, or for a hard copy on Beta SP, please call David Dix of PR Newswire, on +44 (0) 20 7454 5184. For further information about Panelplus or about WRAP, please call Pat Jennings of WRAP on +44(0)1295 819928.