All these 20 FloodSax alternative sandbags came from this one easy-to-carry box FloodSax soaking up water from a leaking roof Packs of 5 FloodSax are incredibly space-saving to store

Why universities, colleges and schools now use FloodSax alternative sandbags

Universities, colleges and schools are now using FloodSax alternative sandbags as a highly effective way to deal with floods both inside and outside.

Many put a huge emphasis on the environment and need a solution to stop flooding that leaves far less of a carbon footprint on the planet than traditional sandbags.

Old-style sandbags use one of the earth’s natural resources – sand – and need huge warehouses to store them, lorries to move them anywhere and a large number of people to fill the sandbags, load and shift them. Traditional sandbags often quickly deteriorate when they come into contact with water, disintegrate and spill sand everywhere, often blocking drains.

FloodSax are vacuum-packed in packs of five which are incredibly space-saving to store yet quick and easy to deploy. Four packs of five – that’s 20 FloodSax in all – fit into a cardboard box and one person can carry two boxes at a time. They can be taken to the scene in a car, deployed by one person and are largely biodegradable.

In their dry state FloodSax are exceptionally thin so the gelling polymer inside them can be used to soak up leaks, spills and floods inside schools, colleges and universities, especially in hard-to-reach places such as beneath pipes, underneath sinks or below boilers and leaky roofs.

It also means that when it comes to health and safety, Floodsax are highly visible and stop water spreading where staff and students may slip and fall on it.

Yet immerse a FloodSax fully in water and the gelling polymer inside absorbs the water and retains it so it expands to become an instant sandless sandbag weighing 20kg to keep any floodwater out of the building.

FloodSax are made by Environmental Defence Systems Ltd based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and Lucy Bailey from the company said: “Universities, schools and colleges love FloodSax because they are so flexible and multi-purpose when it comes to dealing with flooding outside buildings and escapes of water inside them.

“We’ve even seen them in action at one UK university underneath water dispensers to stop water dripping onto the floor and ruining it which would need an expensive repair.

“We’ve also discovered that many educational establishments are now very clued up when it comes to their carbon footprint and protecting the environment. They realise that sandbags fail to meet their expectations in every way, from their lack of effectiveness at dealing with floods to their detrimental impact on the environment.

“FloodSax, on the other hand, ticks all their environmentally friendly boxes.”

For more information about FloodSax go to www.floodsax.co.uk