Hospitality Giant goes Green with Installation of World’s First Recyclable Electrical Enclosure Cabinet From Leading UK Manufacturer

  Posted by: electime      4th September 2026

A popular airport hotel undergoing extensive remodelling has become one of the first in the country to install new, fully-recyclable electrical enclosures.

The 75-bedroom Premier Inn, Leeds Bradford Airport hotel, owned by hospitality giant Whitbread, is set to relaunch in December, following an extensive renovation that has seen the project be among the first to install the Ritherdon PVC Electrical Enclosure Cabinet – understood to be the world’s first fully recyclable feeder pillar.

Designed and made by historic  131 year old British manufacturing company Ritherdon & Co, the use of PVC cabinets marks a leap into a more sustainable future.

Darwen based Ritherdon’s durable PVC cabinets are different from any other plastic electrical enclosure currently on the market because they can be recycled, unlike the standard GRP – glass reinforced plastic – enclosures, which end up in landfill.

Consultant building services and building physics engineering firm Thornley & Lumb Partnership, jumped at the chance to use the PVC cabinets on the site to house the hotel’s mains electricity supply.

Managing Director of the Bradford-based firm Martin Thornley said: “For us it was a simple decision to go with Ritherdon’s new PVC cabinet.

“Some sites and clients are becoming more sensitive to the sustainability factor, especially on this particular site, where Whitbread are incredibly concerned about the environmental impact.

“They want to tick that box. And while price is still key, we most definitely will look towards using the PVC cabinets again in the future. “

“We have used their products before. It is very neat and tidy so it looks better than the usual GRP cabinets.

Following years of research and development, combined with a six-figure investment, the Ritherdon PVC Cabinet range offers a new cost-effective solution for housing electrical equipment across a wide variety of applications, including EV chargers.

The  PVC Cabinet is ideal for temporary electrical housing solutions and for exporting, as Ritheron  are already receiving keen interest in their customisable cabinets internationally, including France, Australia, New Zealand and Iceland.

Ritherdon & Co Managing Director Ben Ritherdon said: “We are pleased that Thornley Lumb specified our new PVC cabinet for their installation at The Premier Inn.

“Considering the environmental impact in the choices of materials such as enclosures and cabinets is more important and relevant than at any other time.

“Our PVC Cabinets combine the strength of our traditional stainless steel cases with the usability and practicality of plastic – all while being totally recyclable.

“We came across the idea while trying to develop an alternative non-conductive product that combined the electrically insulating properties of fibreglass cabinets, but with the added bonus of being recyclable – it just made sense, we couldn’t understand why nobody had thought of it before.

“The cabinet’s adaptability ensures that it meets the diverse needs of different industries, providing a secure and organised housing solution for electrical equipment, and they are recyclable, which is very important to us as a company.

“We can now provide customers with a product that is long-lasting, but also not damaging to the environment.”

Ritherdon’s cabinets, which are manufactured at their factory in Darwen, Lancashire, are crafted from high-quality PVC over a metal frame, ensuring years of resistance to corrosion and environmental wear.

Designed with versatility in mind, applications for the PVC Cabinet are endless, from geothermal power stations to electric vehicle charging banks, telecoms equipment and advertising billboard housing to temporary building supplies.

Ben added: “With enclosure requirements varying across UK networks, choosing the right cabinet for a project is essential.

“Our new PVC range works across all UK DNO regions, offering a sustainable solution across a wide range of applications with the added benefit of end of life recyclability.

“We believe that, as feeder pillars, they will typically have a service life of around ten to twenty years but it’s reassuring to know that once they have reached the end of their usefulness, our PVC Cabinets will not end up as industrial waste.”