TDP Ltd, an award-winning Derbyshire-based sustainable business specialising in outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic, is introducing an innovative memorial bench digital platform called ‘My Place and Story.’
The platform, set to launch this month, allows customers who purchase one of TDP Ltd’s commemorative benches to add a QR code. When someone sits on the bench and scans the QR code with their phone, they can read the life story of the person being commemorated.
Wirksworth-based TDP Ltd, recently crowned with a coveted King’s Award for Sustainable Development, is launching ‘My Place and Story’ this month.
The QR code can also be used to record information about the bench’s location. The first example is at Shipley Country Park in Derbyshire.
Kym Barlow, Commercial Director of TDP Ltd, said, “Memorial benches are a lovely way to remember those who have left us. Here at TDP, we have gone one step further and created a digital platform so that people sitting on a memorial bench can, if they choose, find out about a person’s life by simply scanning the code on their phone.”
The platform aims to offer comfort to those remembering their loved ones and provides an opportunity to preserve memories. Additionally, it allows visitors to discover more about the places they visit, including their history and landmarks.
One of the first life stories featured on these benches is that of former Welsh international rugby player Brian Davies. His bench, located outside the rugby club house at Pentrych near Cardiff, includes a QR code so that passersby can learn more about his life and why the bench is situated there.
Brian’s widow, Enid, expressed her delight, saying, “I think it’s a lovely idea, it really is. You see these plaques put in parks and you think ‘that’s nice’ – you see a name but there’s always a story too. I think it’s a lovely thing to do, to not think of sad things but to think of all the joyous things.”
TDP’s benches are environmentally friendly, made from 100% British recycled plastic, aligning with the company’s mission to reduce plastic waste. They provide certificates with each order detailing how much plastic has been saved from oceans and how much CO2 emissions have been prevented.
A Dale Commemorative bench, for example, contains recycled waste from 36,985 plastic bottle tops, stopping 1.49 cubic metres of plastic from going into landfill. Environmentally speaking, the saving is the equivalent of a 975 mile car journey – around the distance from London to Florence in Italy.
Rob, one of the company’s owners, stated, “The idea behind My Place and Story is to create lasting memories and stories to pass on to future generations. It seems very fitting to us that by using recycled plastic we are helping make not only furniture that is long-lasting and durable, but with our unique digital platform, memories that will live on for a long time too. It’s great to think that we can help preserve stories of people’s lives that will then form part of our cultural history for future generations.”
Find out more about TDP’s My Place and Story scheme on the TDP website.
