Tree shelter manufacturer Tubex® has strengthened its technical and product development capabilities with the appointment of polymer specialist Rei Raz and continued investment in testing facilities at its Aberdare site.
Raz, a materials scientist with extensive experience in industry, has joined Tubex® as Product Development Engineer to support the company’s material innovation and quality processes, with a particular focus on the next generation of biodegradable tree shelters and the increased use of recycled polypropylene across its product range.
Based at Tubex®’s manufacturing site in Aberdare, he is leading work to expand the company’s in-house technical knowledge and testing capability, helping the business better understand how products perform in real-world conditions and how materials can be developed to meet changing environmental, commercial and performance demands.
The investment includes the creation of a dedicated laboratory space and a separate weathering testing area, bringing together equipment and processes used to evaluate how tree shelters behave over time. This includes natural weathering trials, controlled soil-based ageing, freeze-thaw testing and work to assess the impact of environmental conditions such as moisture, temperature change and UV exposure.
“The new capability supports our long-term commitment to product reliability, sustainability and evidence-led innovation. By bringing more technical testing and analysis in-house under Raz’s leadership, the business can investigate field performance, support quality assurance, refine material specifications and accelerate learning around biodegradable and recycled-content products,” said Rhauan Young, Commercial Director at Tubex®.
Raz joined Tubex® after a career in polymer processing, product development and technical training. Before joining the business, he worked in education, delivering and helping to develop a Level 3 polymer processing technician programme for apprentices in the plastics industry.
He said of his new role: “Tree shelters may look like simple products, but there is a great deal of science behind how they perform in the field. My role is to help Tubex® deepen that understanding, whether that is through material selection, testing, failure analysis or developing the next generation of products.
“A product has to protect a tree for the time it is needed, perform consistently in different environments and increasingly reflect customers’ sustainability priorities. That means we need robust testing, good data and repeatable methods, so we can make informed decisions about the materials we use and the products we develop.”
Alongside the development of biodegradable products, Raz is also supporting Tubex’s work to increase the use of recycled materials. The company has recently raised average recycled content levels across parts of its production and continues to explore new sources of suitable recycled polypropylene in the UK and Europe.
He is also involved in Tubex®’s work towards Environmental Product Declarations, gathering data for third-party assessment of product carbon footprints and identifying opportunities for further improvement across materials, processes and supply chains.
The Aberdare testing investment also complements Tubex®’s ongoing external research partnerships, including work with Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, where Tubex® materials continue to be tested and assessed.
