Vent-Axia, a ventilation manufacturer based in West Sussex, has recently won two prestigious environmental industry awards, thanks in part to the efforts of University of Bath student Roben Els. A final-year BSc Natural Sciences student, Roben completed an industry placement at Vent-Axia during his third year of studies.
The project Roben worked on involved establishing and managing the company’s new materials testing database for recycled plastic. This groundbreaking work contributed to Vent-Axia winning the H&V News Awards Low Carbon Impact Award and the BEAMA Net-Zero Collaboration Award, the latter in partnership with electrical retailer AO.
At the time of Roben’s arrival, Vent-Axia was undergoing a major manufacturing transformation, moving from using virgin plastic to recycled plastic. As the first ventilation company to set ambitious goals for using recycled plastic, the company faced challenges, as test houses were reluctant to certify products made from recycled materials due to variations in plastic content and a lack of material data. To address this, Vent-Axia assigned Roben the task of testing recycled plastic and gathering the necessary data.
During his first few months, Roben familiarized himself with the company’s new testing equipment and industry standards. Once ready, he began batch-testing materials and creating a database of results to ensure that all recycled plastics were tested and traceable. He also compiled weekly graphs on recycling rates for business use.
Roben’s work in developing a new materials database and sharing it with test houses has played a key role in enabling product certification and third-party accreditation. His contributions have set a new standard for the ventilation sector, allowing the company to continue its sustainable practices while maintaining high product quality.
Reflecting on his experience, Roben said, “It’s really exciting to see my work recognized with two award wins. I’m glad to have contributed something valuable to Vent-Axia that can be built upon in the future. My placement was dynamic and enjoyable, offering practical experiences from product testing to working in the mould shop. It also gave me insight into how important sustainability is to the company.”
The placement has significantly influenced Roben’s career path. Initially majoring in chemistry, Roben has switched to physics after enjoying the hands-on physics aspects of his placement. He now hopes to pursue a career in analysis, confident that the experience has prepared him for life after university.
Dr. Simon Freakley, senior lecturer and placement tutor in the University of Bath’s Department of Chemistry, praised Roben’s work, saying, “It’s fantastic to see our students using their chemistry skills to tackle global challenges, like finding new uses for waste plastics. We’re proud of Roben’s contributions and look forward to seeing more real-world impacts from our students.”
Alexis Roberts, Vent-Axia’s channel marketing manager, added, “We’re thrilled that Roben’s project has been recognized by the industry. At Vent-Axia, we’re committed to investing in students, helping them gain industry experience and guide their career paths. We’re proud that Roben played a key role in our sustainability journey.”
Vent-Axia is committed to achieving Net Zero by 2040, a decade ahead of the UK government’s target. By the end of FY2025, the company plans for 70% of its sales revenue to come from low-carbon products and for 90% of the plastic used in manufacturing to come from recycled sources. The shift from virgin to recycled plastic is a major part of this transformation, alongside the development of innovative low-carbon products like heat recovery ventilation.
Vent-Axia has welcomed another University of Bath student, Luke Tucker, for this year’s placement. While Roben focused on injection moulding, Luke will be working with extrusion and PVC.
