AN Italian restaurant is now more than 50 per cent quieter, thanks to 660 recycled plastic bottles.

Aldo’s Italian, in Greengates, has just had an installation of 102 ceiling tiles made by Bradford company AgileAcoustics, based in Broad lane, in Cutler Heights.

Company owner and managing director Stuart Jones said his client was “doing back flips” because he was so pleased.

“We have reduced sound in the restaurant by 56 per cent.

“What is more, it was a clean installation, meaning no drilling was needed, so it only took five hours to complete and he could open that evening.

“The tiles were placed on the ceiling and we can make them to any shape, size and colour.

“They work by absorbing the sound rather than it bouncing off the walls and around the room.

“Aldo is so thrilled he rings me almost every day,” said Mr Jones.

“The product has been around six months in development and we now have manufacturing facilities so we make them ourselves.

“We have intellectual property on the product now and have had a lot of national interest.

“Installations have mainly been office and corporate environments and Aldo’s is the first restaurant or hospitality business we have worked on.

“I can’t give too much away about where the recyclable material comes from, but it is a UK waste stream so we are helping reduce waste from around the UK.

“The tiles are not expensive either, costing around £35 each,” he said.

The company currently employs six staff and that number is expected to double in the next 18 months.

Aldo’s owner, Aldo Devittoris, said he was delighted with the result.

“It is unbelievable the difference it has made. It has halved the echo reverberation you can get from restaurants where there are a lot of hard surfaces.

“You can now hear the background music all the time now.

“Stuart and I designed the tiles between us and they give the room an Art Deco look. They tick all the boxes too; they are eco-friendly, are designed and made by a Bradford company and are helping to save the environment as well.

“Customers have noticed the difference and we couldn’t be happier.”