Recycle and Grow

'The one thing you can't recycle is wasted time'

Cutting Carbon, Cutting Waste, Cultivating Futures...

Recycling plastic in action

Recycle & Grow’s core product is Recycling Plastics. This includes

Copper recycling – Collecting waste PVC cable residue from waste cable recyclers and extracting the fine particles of copper from the waste product which then turns the waste product into a useable PVC based extraction product.

Windows - We currently recycle up to 2000 used windows a week. We also process their installation waste coming back from 28 installation depots nationally

Extruding PVC - We work with one of the largest extruders of PVC in the UK. - up to 20,000 homes of PVC annually. clean, purify colour sort and deliver back

Clean, purify colour sort and deliver back – We supply nationally for a national fabricants cleaning company, purifying, colour sorting and delivering it back so it can be reused in window production. Both these windows and PVC clients are predominant social housing landlords.

Recycle materials for computers and electrical sockets We now collect nationally for a national electrical’s window profile. We sort, clean, colour sort and deliver back PCV profile so it can be used in our suppliers products for computers, electrical sockets. Massive in schools, council, social housing. 80% of offices, houses etc.

Others – We also supply 40 tons a week to other smaller plastic companies,

Many of our recycled windows which have come out of people’s homes and rather than landfill them we have technology to recycle them back into products which go to B+Q and social housing etc.

Recycle & Grow can also recycle polythene in our machines such as farm land waste. To prevent it going to land fill we take the soil from the polythene then it can be used variety of ways including bio-diesel plants.

Targets for 2009 – 2012

ISO 9001 by July 2009

ISO 14001 by December 2009

ISO 18001 by 2012

	2009/10	2010/11	2001/2012
Turnover	£4 million	£6.5 million	£6.5 million
Tonnage recycled	7, 500	10, 000	10, 000
Staff	16	20	22
Apprentices*	110	290	640
Qualifications delivered	400+	600+	2000+

Volunteers

Recycle & Grow targets volunteers who will benefit from undertaking the work. Suitable volunteers are not sourced by Recycle & Grow but identified and referred through are Connexions, Job centre, probation, Shaw trust, SEETEC, YMCA & A4E.

Recycle & Grow is able to provide a good ‘offer’ to volunteers including in terms of hard outcomes, the opportunity to significantly increase their employability through accredited training provided free of charge. Volunteer retention is a barrier to success in other social enterprises. RECYCLE & GROW’s good record on this is due to a strong organisational culture of respect and support.

Recycle & Grow imposes very few entry requirements on volunteers and suitability is judged gradually. Recycle & Grow seeks volunteers who will consistently and punctually present for work, and who will enjoy the type of work on offer.

Environmental impact

Recycle & Grow recognises the role of business in delivering on the UK’s commitment to reduce energy consumption under the Kyoto Agreement. The organisation believes that energy efficiency can be good for business as well as helping safeguard the environment. There is a commitment to reducing, reusing and recycling wherever possible to minimise the business’s carbon footprint. In practice this largely means significant amounts of recycling and composting.

Recycle & Grow has a long-term approach to sustainable recycling. Reducing the use of pesticides and using natural alternatives, wherever possible, are key targets in further minimising environmental impact. It is constantly looking to use the latest technology to reduce its noise pollution, light pollution and reduce the amount of natural resources its uses including water.

Recycle & Grow has a longstanding commitment to reducing pollution This work is now being developed and included in its NOCN training and qualifications.