Green Compass Pathfinders
Ten pathfinder organisations joined the Green Compass pilot scheme in September 2008. Each of them has now achieved accreditation to the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 402 for waste resource management organisations to sign up to in the UK. The pilot scheme has demonstrated that the pathfinders are already achieving recovery rates of around 83% (one organisation has recovery rates of 100% for inert material). The Green Compass pathfinders deal with half a million tonnes of waste between them and cover all of Wales – read their profiles and visit their own web sites by using the links below. To find out more about how Green Compass and PAS 402 call 02920 493322; email emma.cottrell@cewales.org.uk
- Alan’s Skip Hire
- Amber Waste
- Atlantic Waste
- Brisco Waste Disposal Limited
- Bryn Quarry
- Derwen
- Parle Skip Hire Limited
- Potters Recycling
- Thorncliffe
- Williams a Williams Cyf
Alan’s Skip Hire
Alan’s Skip Hire (ASH) has over 25 years of history in the business employing approximately 145 highly trained staff, ASH services its customers right across North Wales and the North West of England and handles customers ranging from Transco, Jarvis, Airbus UK and Cheshire County Council to small and medium sized operations. The business has invested over £3 million in the last twelve months to develop two modern recycling facilities (MRFs) which will benefit customers by reducing reliance on landfill. This is achieved by recycling a greater proportion of the customers waste, therefore helping its customers move towards Environmental best practice whilst also cut the companies carbon footprint and of course saving costs.
The team at Alan’s Skips is well aware of the environmental pressure on sectors following the increase to the Landfill Tax and the overall increased costs of disposing and managing waste. Alan’s Skips aim to minimise the increase by recycling approximately 80% of all general waste it handles saving on some of the landfill tax and disposal costs and passing these savings on directly to its loyal and ever growing customer base.
Amber Waste
Amber provides a comprehensive waste management service that includes collection, treatment, transfer and disposal with a heavy emphasis towards waste minimisation and recycling. It operates a Materials Reclamation Facility that has allowed the business to extend its recycling activities. The facility is currently achieving a 70-90% waste recycling ratio for all wastes collected on behalf of our customers. It handles construction & demolition, industrial, commercial, trade and household wastes including hardcore, soil, wood, metal, glass, paper, cardboard and plastic. Amber brings all the waste it handles to its site for sorting and segregation into various recycling streams. Consequently, the materials reclamation facility gives customers the benefits of recycling without the need to segregate waste at source. A full and concise reporting package is available, both customer and site specific, for all waste streams and is recorded in weight and volume and percentages recycled. Amber regards itself as being at the forefront of recycling and is very pro active in the waste industry – hence its involvement with Constructing Excellence in Wales. Where most waste companies simply provide a waste disposal service straight to landfill, Amber extends its services to separating and sorting the waste in order to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. Amber’s target is to continue with the reduction of waste to landfill and is currently achieving a target of around 85%.
Amber Hampshire, sales director says: “We provide total waste management for companies and organisations throughout South Wales, and these companies can be assured that when they employ Amber Services to deal with their waste disposal, they are not simply disposing of their waste, but actively contributing to the reduction of waste to landfill.”
Atlantic Waste
As a member of the Dauson Holdings group, Atlantic Waste Management works very closely with their sister company Neal Soil Suppliers who have been recycling construction and demolition waste for over 15 years. The group’s waste collection and skip hire company, Neal Recycling encourage on-site recycling, and those materials not recycled on site are delivered to Atlantic for further processing and recovery. The group’s construction arm is Remtech who provide ground works and civil engineering to many national house builders and major construction projects. Remtech encourage the use of recycled materials when and wherever possible.
Atlantic Waste is hoping to build the first purpose built Eco Park in Wales. The long term goal is for the EcoPark to offer a strategic, integrated waste solution for the region by providing a number of recycling facilities on one site which all have industrial synergies and are able to deal with the widest variety of waste types. It is hoped that this will enable waste to be recovered and transferred within the park for further processing and that this will reduce waste miles, carbon emissions and help to minimise the impact of the recycling process on the environment.
Stuart Hanford, managing director at Atlantic Waste explains:
“We already recycle a high percentage of all the material coming to us, but once we have built the new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) it will give us a whole new dimension and potential to recycle even more. Landfill is not just becoming more expensive due to increasing tax, but the capacity is falling and not being replaced. Current waste management processes cannot cope with demand and new facilities using up to the minute technology need to be developed to replace this diminishing landfill capacity and provide a sustainable waste solution for markets such as the construction industry that generate vast amounts of waste.”
The MRF is one part of an investment in its 200 acre site that the Group hope will include an In-vessel composting facility to deal with green waste and food waste and will produce a soil conditioner to enhance its soil recycling operation. Other plans on the drawing board are for a soil and aggregate washing facility to produce quality recycled construction materials that the group can use and market, and to further develop its wood recycling operation. The company plan to use recycled materials and sustainable practices when and wherever possible during construction and operation of the new facilities. Rain water harvesting, ‘grey’ water recycling and green energy are all currently being considered.
Brisco Waste Disposal Limited
With over 30 years experience in the waste sector Brisco Waste Disposal has become one of the leading waste management companies in the Swansea region.
The company has gone from strength to strength providing a wide range of services to domestic, commercial and public sectors alike. Brisco offers a quick and efficient service – waste is collected then brought into our fully licensed transfer and recycling station, Fforestfach, where it is sorted and separated.
Brisco Waste specialises in construction and demolition waste, achieving a 75% waste recycling ratio, with initiatives in place to improve on this. Whether it is skips or waste haulage the firm can be of assistance. Committed to achieving best practise throughout the operation it prides itself on working closely with both builders and civil engineers on all major projects to ensure it meets and goes beyond their expectations. Being part of the Green Compass is a natural progression for the Brisco.
“In today’s environmentally conscious society it is outstanding that the Welsh Assembly Government recognises the important and professional role of waste management companies. The Green Compass Scheme is a commitment to achieving world class leading environmental performance and we are proud to be part of it,” states Shaun O’Kelly, operation manager of Brisco Waste.
Bryn Quarry
Bryn Quarry Limited was set up in 1996 as a provider of blue pennant sandstone and landfill services. It subsequently developed a recycling side of the business focusing on recycling hardcore, soils and builders’ rubble. In 2000, with the increasing trend towards recycling, wood and green waste was brought into operation and a recycling unit was developed on site.
The green waste was converted into compost and soil conditioner, before being sold to local authorities, utility companies, landscape gardeners and the general public. The wood is shredded in to sawdust and used as animal bedding by local farmers. In 2005 a contract was agreed with Slough Heat and Power for wood chip to go to their plant in Slough to be used as an alternative means of generating electricity.
When waste is brought to Bryn Quarry the goal is to recycle the bulk of it and ensure that the absolute minimum (if any) amount of waste ends up in a landfill site. On average Bryn Quarry processes around 30,000 tonnes of green waste; 20,000 tonnes of wood; 20,000 tonnes of soil blended with compost; 30,000 tonnes of hardcore thereby saving the need to landfill these waste products.
Alun Price said, “We are very proud to be associated with the Green Compass scheme and the waste programme run by Constructing Excellence in Wales. It gives us a chance to demonstrate our commitment to recycling and diversion from landfill by sharing our experiences and ideas.”
Derwen
Derwen has two separate divisions: Derwen Construction and Derwen Aggregates. Its focus has been civil engineering, but whilst it has always been involved in recycling this has been on a relatively small scale, providing its own and other construction companies with recycled aggregates and an alternative to the disposal of construction and demolition inert waste. This changed following the landfill legislation in the 1990s that resulted in the closure of many landfill sites and made the disposal of inert waste materials from construction sites more expensive. The Aggregates Levy also made aggregates taken directly from quarries or dredging more expensive.
In 2007 the company invested in a state of the art aggregate recycling plant, achieving an increase in the volume of products offered and enhancing the quality and services available. These now include general building sand, coarse sharp sand, granular sub-base type 1, low permeability clay and aggregates ranging from 6mm to 40mm. Through a one-stop-shop approach customers can achieve a reduction in transport and handling costs, as the opportunity exists to dispose of materials for recycling, and then collect sustainable aggregates in one vehicular movement.
Derwen is, in effect, producing the same products as quarries, but quarries have to dig their products out of the ground first whereas Derwen has a ready source of free input materials. This makes the Derwen process very competitive on price. Derwen is the only company in Wales to use a filter press and is therefore the only company that produces the clay product in which a great deal of interest is being shown. The unique nature of Derwen’s innovations has also been recognised at the 2008 CITB Construction Skills Built on Success Awards where Derwen won the Directors Award. The Directors Award encapsulated the Built on Success Awards and was presented to Derwen as the company reflected the modern Welsh construction industry. In March 2009 Derwen was awarded with the Training & Development Award, at the prestigious Swansea Bay Regional Business Awards.
Derwen also supplies skips for hire. Its plant has the capacity to convert in excess of 350,000 tonnes of inert waste into high quality, washed, sustainable aggregates for re-use in the construction industry. More importantly, it is actively involved in diverting this waste from landfill, where the lack of capacity is an increasing problem.
As a waste handling business Derwen is committed to the Welsh Assembly Government’s waste programme being managed by Constructing Excellence in Wales.
Parle Skip Hire Limited
Founded in December 2004, Parle Skip Hire Limited was formed when it purchased two well-established waste management companies located in the Aberdare & Merthyr Tydfil area, BMH Skip Hire and Stephen Parle Skip & JCB Hire, whose expertise and reputation spanned over 30 years. The services offered now are fundamentally the same: waste management, recycling and plant hire. During the past five years the business has grown and the company is proud to have progressed a further three stages in the Green Dragon Environmental Award to level 5, which makes Parle one of the highest rated waste management companies.
The company currently provide a waste management service throughout South Wales and beyond, carried out by fully trained operators for industrial, commercial, construction, schools, domestic and work in partnership with several local authorities. Its waste containers range from two to 40 cubic yard capacity in open and covered type, depending on customers requirements.
Parle has opened an additional licensed waste transfer station in the Swansea area and has recently amended its waste management license to enable them to collect and dispose of cement bonded asbestos which further improves both its coverage area and service.
The waste transfer station in Llwydcoed, Aberdare is currently achieving a recycling rate of nearly 75% and the business is aiming to improve its operation to increase this figure. In addition to waste that arrives in skips from customer sites Parle also allow customers to bring in waste direct for recycling. Wastes which are currently recycled are: wood & timber; all metals – ferrous & non-ferrous; cardboard; glass; brick, stone and inert aggregate; plasterboard; plastics – uPVC / HDPE / LDPE and green waste.
Parle’s service provides full documentation and advice to comply with the latest legislation which is regulated by Environment Agency Wales. It can also produce waste reports which will give a detailed analysis of waste removed from site and information such as tonnage and percentage recycled.
The bricks, blocks, concrete and masonry are now being crushed to produce aggregates in accordance with the WRAP Quality Protocol and a certificate of compliance for MOT Type 1 Sub-base has been achieved. Parle also sell subsoil & topsoil for landscaping and gardening applications. More and more customers are turning to these as a more cost effective and resourceful solution which can fulfil part of their environmental objectives.
Potters Recycling
Potters Recycling and Potters Waste Management work alongside each other to deliver waste resource management for public and private companies in Mid Wales. Potters operates its own landfill site where it disposes of most of the residual waste from Powys and Ceredigion local authorities. However, it is currently working with both councils to divert as much waste material from landfill.
The business is fully committed to finding new and better ways of managing waste and improving the use of recycled materials in construction and recycling generally.
David Williams, technical manager, said: “Our role as one of the pathfinders within the Green Compass pilot scheme gives us a great opportunity to put some of our ideas into practice and make a positive contribution to the industry.”
Potters produce one product that they are keen to see utilised within the construction and civil engineering industry in Wales, the Tyre bail. This block of recycled tyres has good (high) permeability and low weight. Potters have used them extensively as a drainage layer beneath the waste in the landfill. They have been used by the Environment Agency on coastal and river defence projects.
Potters has a planning application in for a waste wood combustion plant at its Welshpool site, this would be WID compliant and take all non hazardous waste woods and generate electricity for grid and heat into a local heat main. Potters are also preparing to make a planning application for an anaerobic digestion plant adjacent to the landfill site, this would treat abattoir waste and kitchen wastes, producing a biogas that will be treated and then exported into the gas main and producing a digestate for use as a fertiliser or soil improver.
Thorncliffe
Thorncliffe Building Supplies was established in 1990 by Tim Harper and expanded quickly, making a major impact on the local building trade by offering a wide range of products at competitive prices whilst offering a reliable and friendly service to all customers. Thorncliffe was always endeavouring to offer more to its customers so it quickly developed a ‘one stop shop’ strategy.
Consequently the company began providing a waste and recycling service in 1992. A waste transfer station was established on the Allt-y-Graig site followed by a Plant Hire Shop. The Waste Transfer Station and Skip Hire business required Thorncliffe to establish a waste recycling policy in line with the current government initiatives to recycle more waste and to prevent waste from ending up in landfill sites. The Allt-y-Graig site soon reached its capacity so the Windmill site at Abergele was purchased and a state of the art Waste Recycling Station has been established. Thorncliffe has invested in this technology and is now a leading North Wales Waste Recycling Company.
Thorncliffe Skip Hire and Waste Management based in Abergele and Ewloe near Mold have over 1000 skips ranging from 2 cubic yards to 40 cubic yards. A variety of styles from roll on/off, open top to fully enclosed lockable ones for security and vandal protection. Both private domestic and commercial business waste including green waste, construction and industrial can be accepted. Specialist waste requirements such as asbestos can also be managed. Small and long-term projects can be accommodated with a flexible, professional approach to the changing needs of industry in today’s waste-oriented environment.
In 2007 Thorncliffe purchased a site on the Ewloe Barn Industrial Estate, Mold Road, Ewloe nr Mold and opened a Builders Merchants, Skip and Waste Management Station on the site. This new project will continue the Thorncliffe strategy of a ‘one stop shop’ with reliable and friendly service to all its customers. All waste received at this site is treated to the same thorough recycling processes that exist at our Abergele site. This continues the Thorncliffe policy of maximising the recycling process to prevent waste going to landfill.
Williams a Williams Cyf
The business has been in the family since it began in 1920 and is now one of the major providers of waste and recycling services in north Wales.
Williams a Williams Cyf began life just after the First World War as a coal and animal feed transporter and only expanded into providing skip hire services in the 1980s. This led the company to move into handling sand, gravel, aggregate, stone and other building materials, but it was not until the 1990s that the business made the move into waste. Then, in 1997, the company built a waste transfer station that was the foundation for its operation today.
Working with a variety of organisations in the construction industry, covering a twenty mile radius from its base at Pwllheli on the Lleyn peninsula, Williams a Williams is the major waste player in the region. Its territory covers Caernarfon, to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Portmadog and then also Pwllheli and the Lleyn peninsula. As well as skip hire and its waste transfer operation, Williams a Williams also runs a road sweeper hire service.
“We are very happy to be involved with the Green Compass scheme,” said Meurig Jones, the owner of Williams a Williams. “Not just because the scheme gives waste real direction, but the waste industry needs more infrastructure to be effective and the scheme plays a key role in developing a framework. There is a strong tendency to look for the cheaper option rather than the right, environmentally friendly and legally binding solution. The industry needs focus and the customers and contractors need a framework they can trust to work within. Green Compass and the CE in Wales waste programme will help provide that framework.”