Grounded in Cornwall

Words by Jamie Crocker

Twenty years on, Cornwall’s surfacing pioneers continue to turn waste into worth.

Oltco was founded on values that come from a deep-seated sense of integrity based upon respect for the environment and people. It grew out of a certain characteristic that is shared by those who are born and bred in Cornwall – a distinct sense of community and a shared responsibility to the place that nurtured them. At its heart is the idea that a product should do more than just look good or be durable – it should contribute to a broader movement toward a future that is both  environmentally  conscious of and sympathetic to.

Cornwall is a place that tests what things are made of. Its weathered headlands and layered skies have shaped not only the landscape but also the people who live and work here, people who understand durability, resourcefulness and the need to respect what endures. These same qualities underpin Oltco Ltd, a company that began in Newquay and has gone on to reshape surfaces across the UK with one of the construction industry’s most progressive and practical sustainability stories.

The company made significant progress with the development of Recycle Bound, Oltco’s patented surfacing solution made using waste plastic. Designed to be laid like a standard resin-bound surface, Recycle Bound integrates otherwise unrecyclable plastic waste, particularly the sort often found washed up on beaches, into a solid, attractive and exceptionally durable finish. Recycle Bound is now in use across the UK, from domestic driveways to commercial projects and civic installations. Yet its beginnings were anything but easy.

Developing Recycle Bound meant confronting the awkward gap between environmental ideals and real-world performance. It had to be more than a nice idea. In the early stages, the team at Oltco spent months refining the right ratios of resin to aggregate, trialling recycled plastics from different sources and adjusting installation methods. It was, by all accounts, painstaking work. Durability and permeability, key selling points for any surfacing product, had to be retained without compromise. Eventually, the right formula was found, and Oltco began to install the UK’s first driveways made with Recycle Bound. Each square metre repurposes the equivalent of 3,000 plastic straws.

The breakthrough didn’t go unnoticed. When the Eden Project approached Oltco to install Recycle Bound at one of its major visitor areas, the sense of alignment was immediate. One of the UK’s best-known champions of conservation, Eden provided the perfect stage for Oltco’s values to be expressed in full view. For the team, it was more than a contract. It was validation, and a moment of pride that still resonates.

Such recognition is the product of consistency rather than hype. Oltco’s growth has always been built on straightforward outcomes: a clear finish, long life and quiet confidence in the materials. From Newquay, the business has expanded nationally through a network of franchises, each one trained, mentored and regularly supported to maintain the same standards as the Cornish headquarters. It’s a transfer of values. Community engagement, environmental stewardship and transparent customer service are expected wherever the Oltco name is used.

In Cornwall, these values manifest daily. Oltco supports a number of charitable initiatives and causes that speak to its ethos. Each of their franchisees, throughout the country, also support local charities close to their hearts. Staff involvement goes beyond cheques and logos: the company contributes through direct donations, hands-on assistance and a respectful commitment to help where it can.

Then there are the Random Acts of Kindness. Launched to mark Oltco’s 15th year in business, the idea was simple – do something useful and unrequested for someone in the community. From delivering pasties to emergency workers to assisting animal charities across the South West, these gestures have become part of the company’s annual rhythm, taken up not only in Cornwall but by teams from Manchester to Milton Keynes.

Environmental work continues too. Beach cleans, like the one at Fistral in partnership with the Clean Breaks initiative, feed directly into Oltco’s materials process. 

That doorstep, increasingly, is vulnerable to climate change. In Cornwall and beyond, unpredictable weather patterns and heavier rain are testing existing infrastructure. Oltco’s permeable resin-bound systems allow water to pass through the surface and into the ground beneath, reducing the strain on drainage systems and lowering flood risk. For homeowners, it’s a material defence. For councils and commercial properties, it meets both planning requirements and environmental targets. What’s more, it looks good. The modern, natural finish of Oltco’s surfaces, offered in a wide palette of blends and tones, sits easily in both urban and rural settings. A customer testimonial from a recently completed rugby club development notes not only the finish and durability of the installation, but also the volume of positive comments from members of the public. The site, once just another build, now has a sense of coherence. The surface frames the building.

Such responses are not unusual. Oltco’s customer service, from planning to aftercare, is consistently praised. In an industry sometimes beset by missed deadlines and hurried workmanship, the company’s teams are known for patience, clarity and a well-organised installation process. At every stage, there’s evidence of a company that takes itself seriously, not in attitude, but in action.

Still, the work is far from done. Over the next five years, Oltco’s ambition is to see Recycle Bound adopted as the default sustainable choice in resin-bound surfacing. That means ongoing research and development, broader customer education and building on its already significant network of franchises. The opportunity is large, but so too is the responsibility. For Oltco, scaling the business doesn’t mean diluting the message. It means reinforcing it.

In a part of the world where the elements never let you forget their presence, durability matters. But so does care for the environment, for local families and for the materials that shape everyday life. Oltco’s story is not about disruption or radical change, it’s about staying the course, refining the method, and holding to principles that might otherwise be worn away by time and distance.

From Newquay to Knowsley & Ormskirk, driveways, courtyards, forecourts and footpaths now bear the mark of that approach. It’s a Cornish model of growth: one that understands where it came from, and why that still matters.

oltco.co.uk