MetLase initiative gives birds a safe haven

This week (14 - 20 October) is Recycling Week 2024, a campaign focused on raising awareness about the importance of recycling and encouraging individuals to reduce waste. The theme for 2024 is Rescue Me, and raises awareness of the vital role of recycling in conserving resources, reducing pollution, safeguarding wildlife, saving energy, and fostering a circular economy.

A great example of this in Unipart is in MetLase, who are always looking for ways to reduce waste by recycling and repurposing materials as part of their ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

This year, they found a unique way to do this by creating bird box protector plates for their local community, from off-cuts generated by their laser cutting processes.

These small but mighty plates play a crucial role in protecting bird boxes from squirrels and other predators, creating a safe haven for our feathered friends. We're delighted to report that 2024 has been a particularly successful breeding season for Pied Flycatchers, thanks in part to these protected boxes.

Workshop Manager, Josh Otley said: “We are delighted to have partnered with The British Trust for Ornithology on this project with some of MetLase team joining rangers at the National Trust Longshaw Estate to install plates to existing boxes, as well as helping to ring barn owl chicks nesting in the area.

“Protecting wildlife and supporting biodiversity is something we’re passionate about as a team – we are delighted these protectors have had such an impact and look forward to continuing to make more positive contributions in our communities with our manufacturing solutions.”

MetLase's bird box protector plates serve as a powerful reminder of how Unipart can contribute to a circular economy, support and directly support local wildlife and make a big difference.

The MetLase site in Sheffield was started as a joint venture between Unipart and Rolls Royce in 2015, and acquired by Unipart in September 2022. It is a great example of Unipart’s commitment to innovation.

Offering solutions within our core Design, Engineering, and Manufacturing, Circular Economy and Improvement Technologies capabilities, MetLase work with customers to optimise their manufacturing production processes to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance overall productivity.

MetLase also specialise in the design, development and manufacturing of components, systems, tools and fixtures with extremely high levels of accuracy, particularly critical in our core sectors where safety is paramount such as aerospace and defence, automotive, and healthcare.

Click here to watch the Grapevine video from November 2023 below, that demonstrates how MetLase was able to provide a never-before-attempted, bespoke solution for its customer UMW Aerospace.