Whilst working for Golden Hill Garage, Leyland in 1995, Tom’s job was to buy service parts and second-hand car spares from the nearby Leyland Brake Company; a business later acquired by Recycling Lives.

At 17 Tom was offered a job with us; faced with the opportunity to double his weekly wage he began his new role stripping scrap cars for the company. Soon after, this role was extended and he started working behind the counter, serving customers and selling new car parts. Over the three years that followed Tom learnt the essential skills needed for a career in the scrap metal industry: cropping, baling, using burning gear, and driving the crane and fork lift truck.

Aged 21, Tom completed an engineering foundation year at the University of Central Lancashire, followed two years of a maths degree whilst working part-time for the company. He had to end his studies in 2002 when he ran out of money, and he returned to the company as full-time manager at Leyland Brake Company – a position he held for the next three years.

Early in 2006, Tom was redeployed to the Kent Street depot, where he helped Alasdair Jackson to implement the new Pinnacle system and get all of the parts in stock. He took on the role of stores supervisor and became the yard manager in 2007, a role he held for two years. In 2009, he finally took on the job of Health and Safety Manager.

Tom at Autobrakers

In addition to all his technical qualifications, Tom is also a first aider, a fire marshal, a NVQ assessor and a personnel manager. He also holds an NVQ Level 4 in Waste Management, meaning that, along with his Health and Safety expertise, Tom is qualified to run operational yards.

Tom Recycling Lives Health and Safety manager

Tom’s commitment to Recycling Lives has been exemplary and he is a great example of an employee that has taken advantage of new skills development to progress within the company. He has played a vital role in building the company’s reputation as a leader in Health and Safety standards in the recycling industry and we are proud of him.

Some of Tom’s colleagues wanted to take the opportunity to share their thoughts on his career with the company:

From Steve Jackson, Founder and CEO:

“Tom is a superb example of a loyal employee that oozes integrity and commitment to Recycling Lives. It is clear to see that whilst starting for the company in what would be described as a stage one job, he has taken advantage of the available training to progress into a management position. I’d like to thank Tom for his dedication and support.”

From Charlie Jackson, former CEO of Recycling Lives:

“Obviously I remember Tom’s early days with us. From a quiet shy boy, he’s grown in skill and knowledge but remains, of course, a quiet man.

“After a year or so with us, Tom said he wanted to study and develop his career. I can’t remember how many staff we had at the time but I know that we were busy and needed to keep key staff – even then, we could already see how invaluable Tom was. When Tom went off to University, he stayed with us part-time. Thankfully, he returned to us full time and has, since then, been key in developing the business. So, thanks, Tom: I, for one, really appreciate your years of service.”

From Alasdair Jackson, Recycling Lives Operations Director:

“It has been a pleasure to see Tom’s development over the last ten years. He has worked from entry level through various roles to his current Health and Safety position. He has been a credit to himself and the company and is shining example of what can be achieved within Recycling Lives.”

From Geraldine Hoggarth, Recycling Lives Communications Executive:

“I’ve worked with Tom for just over a year in the Compliance and Health and Safety department. Originally, we sat opposite each other and would get the occasional ‘Tom & Geri’ comments, which still make us laugh.

“Tom is one of the most thorough and meticulous people I know both in and out of work. On a more personal level, he contacted me a couple of times when I was recently off ill. When I came back, he continually checked my welfare, and I know it wasn’t just for the Health and Safety paperwork! He is extremely thoughtful and can also deliver a great one liner.

“You can also guarantee he is going to be a great dad too! Congratulations Tom on your 10 years at Recycling Lives.”

From Robert Jackson, Recycling Lives Training Manager:

“I’ve worked with Tom for nearly six years: when I started at Recycling Lives, I was in packing at Autobreakers and Tom was the yard manager. I’ve always known Tom to be a fair manager and, as I’ve come to work alongside him in the roles we both hold today, I know he is a fair and hardworking colleague.

“With a good sense of humour, Tom’s able to make light of many situations while holding on to his professional image. He is an integral part of the company and an employee who shows that Recycling Lives is a place where developments can be made both personally and professionally, as long as you’ve got the right attitude and company loyalty.”

From Philip Tuson, Recycling Lives Leyland Yard Manager:

“I worked with Tom for about two years at Kent Street. He was brought in to help turn the yard round and he was a nightmare to work with as he wanted everything doing right! But, as time passed we started to work well together and have a laugh too. Congratulations on your 10 years, Tom!”

From Simon Green, Recycling Lives Training Department:

“Although I’ve worked for the company for just short of eight years, I’ve only worked with Tom for around four of those, from when he first got transferred from Leyland yard to Kent St to become the car spares yard manager – no small task! Since I started working with Tom, he’s been really helpful and supported me in various ways with my own progression within Recycling Lives.

“I’ve also had some good times with Tom outside of work, at various parties round his house and at work-related events such as the “Christmas Do”! Like a few others from work, I’ve also enjoyed some good days out with Tom on the bikes – despite the fact that he’s sometimes a little hard to keep up with!

“Well done on getting to 10 years Tom (even though he’s done more years but over two different innings!) and here’s to 10 more!”

The ban is likely to have a significant impact on the day-to-day operations of most scrap-yards. In terms of logistics, many scrap yards rely on the speed and ease with which cash payments can be made in order to keep their business running at full speed; cashless transactions may require new technology, procedures, training, and even staff members.

The ease of cash payments is one of the big draws for customers wishing to sell scrap metal. With local authority-approved itinerant traders controversially and confusingly exempt from the new legislation – and thus still able to offer cash payment – small and medium metals recyclers fear that much of their clientèle will go elsewhere. While the big industry leaders can afford to pay over the odds for scrap in a bid to tempt customers into accepting to cashless transactions, SMEs will be unable to absorb both the extra costs and the reduced income.

There is no doubt in the minds of Recycling Lives’ directors that tougher guidelines needed to be introduced to reduce the sale of stolen scrap metal. For too long, unscrupulous metal dealers have been damaging the reputation of the industry by accepting scrap metal from potentially illegal sources and carrying out cash-in-hand transactions for sellers who give no, or obviously falsified, details. It is hard to accept, however, that the best way to tackle this issue is to penalise all scrap metal dealers by preventing them from using their own cash to purchase metal from their customers.

Aside from concerns about the impact that cashless transactions will have on the industry, Recycling Lives is also unsure of how the new legislation will prevent stolen scrap metal from being purchased. Willingness on the part of a customer to accept a cashless transaction does not mean that the metal being purchased is from a legitimate source. While cashless transactions are more traceable than cash transactions, Recycling Lives already keeps records of every purchase it makes from customers, taking relevant details and keeping data on file.

Last July, Recycling Lives welcomed members of Operation Starling to its sites in a bid to ensure that the company was doing as much as possible to prevent the sale of stolen scrap metal from taking place. The scheme followed a shocking 50% rise in the number of scrap metal thefts being carried out in the region every year, with a total of 3,014 incidences in Lancashire between April 2010 and March 2011.

Quoted at the time, British Transport Police officer, Supt. Eddie Wylie commented:
“With scrap metal dealers’ support we can make it very difficult for metal thieves to operate as clearly they have to have an avenue to convert what they’ve stolen into cash.

“Good record keeping makes this very difficult and without this dealers can establish a perfect environment for criminals to sell on stolen goods, safe in the knowledge they will never be traced.”

In accordance with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964, and in line with industry best practice, Recycling Lives ensures that the appropriate records are kept for all of its scrap metal transactions, including those that are made with cash. CCTV and a check-in system record the vehicles coming to and from the company’s sites and data is kept for an appropriate length of time to ensure that Recycling Lives is not an easy target for scrap metal thieves. Scrap metal is also not accepted from customers arriving in a taxi, on foot or on a bike, in line with the company policy of recording the registration plate of every incoming vehicle. The company’s sites are carefully managed and monitored with the express intent of preventing illegitimate purchases to be made, and regular contact is made with the local police in order to cross check records.

The introduction of the new legislation seems to create more problems than it solves. Recycling Lives would like to join other reputable metals recyclers in calling for a reconsideration – or, at the very least, an extensive clarification – of the legislation that has been introduced so that the metals recycling industry can continue to thrive without legitimate firms paying such a heavy price for the misdeeds of the few.

A more moderate first step, such as the introduction of mandatory ID documentation for all scrap metal sellers, would be welcomed. Recycling Lives supports the introduction of Operation Tornado, an initiative developed by the British Transport Police (BTP) that aims to combat metal theft and support legitimate metals recyclers in their business. While a number of the requirements were already in place at Recycling Lives, our adherence to Operation Tornado guidelines is a demonstration of our commitment to best practice, which is why, from now on, photographic ID and proof of address will be required for all transactions at our sites. CCTV footage and data will be kept for 28 days and 12 months respectively.

Initiatives like Operation Tornado, which have the support of the BMRA and BTP, can help to bring all metals recyclers in line with the high standards that reputable firms like Recycling Lives maintain. It is our hope that the Government will listen to the voices of those connected to the recycling industry, who can suggest effective steps for protecting our sector without negatively impacting on company operation and profits.

The Winning Team "Storm Corner"

Last weekend’s six-a-side football tournament held by Recycling Lives at Preston College ended with a victory for the company’s predominantly Hungarian team, Storm Corner!

Named after the weather in the area in Hungary where most of the players originate, Storm Corner romped to victory against second-place Allied, The Preston Stars, The Letdowns, The White Collar Warriors, Charity Villa and “Inter Mivan”.

The winning team battled it out in a series of 15-minute games to grab the top prize of £80. The meteorological conditions in their homeland have been cited by the other teams as an explanation of why they did so well in the terrible weather over the weekend but Operations and Training Manager Neil Flanagan was on hand as ever to make sure that there was no monkey business going on, so it seems that all’s fair in love and footy!

Despite the near constant rain, the event was a huge success – Preston College generously donated the use of the pitch for free and several of the teams went as far as designing and wearing their own team strip.  And, for a bit of comic relief at the end of the tournament, the charity mini bus decided to give up the ghost, waiting until some of the shattered lads could give it a shove down the road before coughing back into life!

With a re-match already planned for the summer, there’s bound to be lots of training going on, and perhaps even a couple of transfer requests on the cards…

But, for now, all that’s left to say is “A jól végzett!” to all the lads on Storm Corner: Tamas Racz, Pal Lauriluyec, Janois Pribojszki, Laszlo Borbiro, Janos Jakab, Attila Onodi, Krzysztof Wozniewski.

"Preston Stars" Pre Match Photograph

The flags and fans will be out in force at Preston College this Sunday, marking the kick-off of Recycling Lives’ first-ever six-a-side football tournament!

While the organisation has previously hosted more genteel events such as the highly successful Charity Golf Day, the football tournament will be a chance for Recycling Lives staff to get the gloves off and fight for the chance to claim top dog position in the company!

The Preston Stars, Storm Corner, The Letdowns, The White Collar Warriors, Charity Villa, Allied and the excruciatingly named “Inter Mivan” (groan!) will be battling it out in a series of 15-minute games, each competing for a top prize of £80 and a second prize of £40 – enough for a decent curry or a round of drinks at the very least!

Why not pop along to Preston College on Sunday to witness a battle that’s sure to be more about testosterone than it is about the prize money? At the very least, you’ll get to see some of Recycling Lives’ best lads wearing shorts, and there’ll be drinks and light refreshments available throughout.

Recycling Lives’ transport department has welcomed a new member of staff this month, in the shape of former front line soldier and military transport driver, John O’Connor!

39-year-old John first joined the Army in 1990, spending eight years as a front line soldier with the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment, after which, he transferred into the Royal Logistic Corps to become a driver, instructor and examiner. Over the course of his 21 years in the Army, John has become an expert in all kinds of military vehicles and has been on operational tours to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosavo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

John is a Preston lad and lives locally with his wife of 18 years, Alison, and their teenage daughter and son. He enjoys walking, playing golf and is, of course, a Preston North End Fan, which means that he’ll fit right in!

Recycling Lives is the first organisation that John applied for a job with after leaving the Army: he was looking for a local company with an ethical agenda and felt he’d found a good match with Recycling Lives.

We’re thrilled to be able to welcome such a skilled individual on board and wish John every success in his new role!

Recycling Lives Trainer Simon Green

Recycling Lives’ trainer, Simon Green, has recently gained a qualification that allows him to deliver training to staff on new types of machinery, including dump trucks, side loaders and skip loaders.

While Simon had previously been awarded ITSSAR certification that allowed him to deliver some training to staff, his new certification level will enable him to train a larger number of staff on a wider range of the equipment and machinery that is crucial to Recycling Lives’ every day operations.

Having passed his qualification in the presence of an external examiner, Simon can now begin to award recognised external accreditations to staff who wish to expand their skills and train in the use of one or more kinds of machinery used on Recycling Lives sites’.

This latest development is another good news story for the Recycling Lives training department and provides Recycling Lives staff and Residents with yet another accredited training opportunity with which to enhance their CVs.

A big “congratulations!” to Simon on his latest accreditation!

To find out more about the machinery training provided by Simon, please contact our training department.

Lee became interested in racing in 2002, when he began racing motorbikes. In 2005, he bought himself a car – a Subaru Impreza – and began following the same circuit that he had when racing his bikes. While initially Lee only attended the track days for fun, he soon noticed that his lap times were up there with the drivers competing in the Time Attack races – a type of ‘beat the clock’ challenge for highly tuned road cars. Lee modified his car and began entering races.

Sponsored Subaru outside Recycling Lives Centre in Preston

In 2011, Lee entered Time Attack and missed out on third place by just 0.033 seconds, despite being pitted against cars that were far superior to his own. Coming so close and yet missing out, Lee knew that, if he could just make a few more modifications to his car, he’d be in with a serious chance of winning. So, in August, the decision was made to take Lee’s car off the road and start preparing for the 2012 race season. His car now has updated racing suspension and 9.5” wheels with 265/35/18 tyres. It runs at over 600bhp and, with these modifications, is likely to be one of the top vehicles in this season’s Time Attack events.

Lee already has a busy couple of months ahead: this weekend, he’ll be competing at the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) Car Club Championships at Oulton Park near Chester. Then, on May 5th, it’s down to Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire for the Modified Live event, where he’ll be entering the first round of Time Attack.

As Lee travels around the UK, competing in these races, or “sprints”, Recycling Lives’ distinctive green and white company logo will be travelling with him (at very high speed!) and catching the eye of plenty of race-goers and members of the press at the various tracks. By winning more publicity, Recycling Lives hopes to attract new clients and contracts, which will help to support the on-going work carried out by the Recycling Lives social welfare charity and fund new initiatives and opportunities for its Residents.

Lee commented:
“I’m really grateful that Recycling Lives has decided to sponsor me: motorsport is very expensive and you’ve got to cover everything from sprint entry fees to racing fuel and special tyres. While I’d love to be out every weekend, it’s just too costly, so the sponsorship money from Recycling Lives will help me get to some of the key events.

“I’ll be competing in Time Attack this year, which gets loads of press coverage, as well as the MLR Sprint series. With all the new modifications to my car and the support provided by Recycling Lives, I’m hoping to get picked for Ten Of The Best: a big event, where the ten best Subarus, Mitsubishi EVOs, Nissan Skylines and other cars compete against each other. It’d be a win-win in terms of both raising my profile and spreading the word about the great work Recycling Lives does.”

Recycling Lives will be following Lee’s progress as he zips round the various UK circuits – stay tuned to our news pages to find out how he’s getting on and where our little green stickmen have been seen!

A lack of funding for homeless young people is seen as one of the main problems facing projects that aim to help street children.

The Recycling Lives social welfare charity, while not working with street children directly, offers accommodation and support to people aged 18 and over who find themselves in difficulty. Tellingly, the majority of Residents tend to be young men in their late teens and early twenties who have struggled to adjust to independent life following difficult childhoods involving homelessness, foster homes and, often, crime. Having struggled for so many years to adapt to a life without support, stability or security, these young people often have few – or no – qualifications and a mistrust of institutions and authority figures. A common theme that crops up in Recycling Lives Residents’ introductory interviews is that of worthlessness, with many applicants expressing genuine surprise at finally “being given a chance”. Many of these young people feel let down by society and often suffer from extremely low self-esteem as a result.

This is why, In addition to the accommodation, education and training that Recycling Lives offers its Residents, the organisation places significant emphasis on building up its Residents’ sense of self-worth. By encouraging new Residents to take on manageable responsibilities and challenges as early as possible – often just helping to keep the centre clean or undertaking a short course on food hygiene or first aid – Recycling Lives aims to prove to its Residents that they are capable of achieving great things when given the opportunity. The charity’s six-step programme helps Residents to build their way up from small achievements within the supportive environment of its Preston centre to fully independent living and full-time employment.

Mark Channing, Recycling Lives Charity Manager, commented:
“It’s shocking to see how few people in the UK realise that homelessness is a real problem for our young people today. Homelessness often prevents young people getting full access to education, which can quickly lead them into a vicious circle of poverty, crime, prison and re-offending. Many of the Residents we welcome at Recycling Lives are reassured that engaging in the charity programme will assist them in finding employment and independent living. “With our six-stage programme of support, education, training and work experience, we aim to take our Residents through the stages that many of them missed when they should have been in full-time education: bite-size learning, building up self-esteem, working out how to live successful, independent lives and securing full-time employment that will bring them the opportunities that will lead them on to a brighter future.”

The work of the Recycling Lives social welfare charity is funded by the success of Recycling Lives Ltd.’s commercial ventures. Each and every contract that the company is awarded helps to support the charity’s residential centre and offer help, hope and support to Residents who desperately need it.

To find out how you can support the Recycling Lives social welfare charity, contact a member of our Charity Team today.

The IT stripping department has been going from strength to strength recently, and this newest addition to the department will allow for an increased level of process streamlining; important in a recycling facility as large and diverse as Recycling Lives.

The newly dedicated stock area means that a larger amount of in-bound stock can now be stored and sorted on-site, close to the processing line. As a result, unnecessary transportation around the site has been minimised – which is good from both an environmental and a health and safety perspective – and stock now finds its way to the processing floor in a more orderly manner than before.

Although a relatively simple addition to the department, the new system has allowed the department to increase the stripping of PCs from a rate of 12 tonnes a month to a staggering 18 tonnes a month in just four weeks.  In addition to the increased rate of work, the new system enables the department to monitor stock more closely, check for any anomalies before the stock reaches the processing line and improve stock-tracking methods.

The new streamlined system has been put into place on the guidance of Operations Director, Alasdair Jackson, and has proved to be a valuable move for the department as its workload increases. Department leader Paul Ballard and his team have embraced the new system and are confident that this small change will have a big impact on the output of the IT stripping department over the coming months.

Not to be outdone, three other staff members at Recycling Lives have successfully completed their portable appliance testing (PAT) course, enabling them to check the appliances that Recycling Lives processes and helping them to diversify their skill sets.

Well done to all the lads!

While the digital switchover took place in 2009 here in the North West, many households will still have old TV sets lying around, perhaps gathering dust in the attic or garage. And, as spring cleaning season gets into full swing, Recycling Lives – one of the North West’s leading Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recyclers – is encouraging householders to bring their unwanted electronics to one of the company’s local recycling plants for environmentally friendly processing.

Recycling Lives’ Commercial Development Manager, Dave Allen, commented:

“With all the recent talk about the digital switchover in the capital, householders might remember that they’ve got an old analogue TV lying around somewhere and decide that it’s time to get rid. What we’re encouraging people to do is to bring their old telly down to one of our local recycling plants, where it can be broken down and recycled properly rather than being dumped in a landfill site.

“Television sets that end up in landfill can often leak dangerous chemicals such a lead, mercury and arsenic into the surrounding soil and water sources, which is bad news all round. Recycling Lives is happy to take TVs free of charge, and make sure they’re dealt with properly.”

Recycling Lives is a Queen’s Award-winning commercial recycler and has been recognised for its innovative processing methods. Adhering to all the latest environmental legislation, the company achieves an impressive >99% recycling rate and prioritises reuse over recycling, further improving its environmental credentials.

Last year, Recycling Lives launched England’s first dedicated flat panel display unit processing centre, which, with its isolated mercury cabins and state-of-the-art technology, allows for reuse, recycling and safe disposal of LCD TV screens. The new processing centre, which was developed following years of academic and industry research, has attracted a great deal of attention and has strengthened the company’s reputation as an industry-leading recycler.

Find out more about Recycling Lives’ WEEE recycling department or contact Recycling Lives for more information.

Businesses in the UK will be reassessing their recycling and waste management processes from this month as landfill tax rates rise to £64 per tonne.

The price hike, which comes as part of the Government’s continued push on materials diversion, means that businesses will have to tackle their waste management processes with renewed vigour if they are to avoid a sharp rise in their annual costs.

Representing an £8 increase from the 2011-2012 rate of £56 per tonne, the new landfill tax puts pressure on companies to seek more efficient treatment and recovery options. Waste experts are now competing with one another to offer companies advice on solutions that combine cost-effectiveness with the necessary level of legal compliance.

With its own in-house compliance department and a wide range of award-winning recycling and waste management solutions, Recycling Lives is able to provide its customers with an integrated waste management programme that will help them to keep in line with materials diversion targets, save money and remain compliant.

The Queen’s Award-winning organisation, which embraces a close-loop recycling process and boasts a >99% recycling rate, has already attracted a large number of high profile clients who are eager to improve their environmental agenda.

And, in addition to its environmental credentials, Recycling Lives offers clients the chance to improve their social responsibility agenda. The company, which runs its own social welfare charity, offering accommodation, work experience and training to homeless and unemployed individuals, uses every contract it wins to support its charitable objectives.

Many of Recycling Lives’ clients also get involved with the charity directly, offering work experience, training and, often, employment to the individuals who come through its doors. Because Recycling Lives encourages its Residents to demonstrate a solid work ethic and a pro-active approach to employment, many corporate partners consider them as very worthwhile applicants.

The primary aim of Recycling Lives is to be a win-win set-up; providing cost-effective, technologically advanced and environmentally sound recycling and waste management solutions, while benefitting the local community and society as a whole with its strong corporate social responsibility agenda. Clients can improve their own CSR profile simply by choosing to work with the organisation, which has long been renowned for its recycling expertise and ground-breaking solutions.

To find out more about how Recycling Lives could help your company to avoid suffering under the new landfill tax rates, contact Recycling Lives today.

In this latest article, MRW discusses the latest statement from the Environment Agency, in which the EA suggests that a manual recycling method, as favoured by Recycling Lives, is best for LCD units…

Companies recycling LCD units will have to dismantle them manually, unless they can prove their system complies with specific regulations.

A regulatory position statement from the Environment Agency (EA), published late last year, states that there will be a presumption that manual dismantling is the only way of achieving compliance with the treatment standards established by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

But mechanical treatment, such as shredding, may be allowed if the recycler can prove its system is able to remove the LCDs and contain the mercury in “a similar degree of protection” for health and the environment set out in the Best Available Treatment Recovery and Recycling Techniques (BATRRT) guidance.

Companies treating LCD units mechanically have until June 2012 to demonstrate their systems to the EA. After this deadline, those unable to prove they comply with BATRRT may face action.

The position statement says: “There has been some debate over whether the mercury from cold cathode fluorescent lamps can be adequately captured by mechanical means…On the basis of a recent WRAP research report, we have concluded it is likely that only manual treatment of LCDs will result in a realistic chance of capturing the mercury from individual lamps.”

According to the WRAP report, the bulk shredding and mercury washing of LCDs could not guarantee the complete removal of the mercury. The latest study found mercury bonded to electrodes at the end of the lights and was not just present in the powder.

Keith Freegard, director of research group Axion, said: “It seems to be that any liquid washing would not remove the bonded mercury. From the research, it seems that the EA statement is correct and wholly appropriate for the hazardous nature of this recycling.

“Bulk shredding of WEEE items has been accepted as recycling for minimal cost per tonne. I think there needs to be rigorous enforcement of WEEE operators who think they can adapt shredding equipment to treat LCD equipment.”

Recycling Lives is believed to be the first dedicated FPD processing centre in England. Strategic development manager David Allen confirmed that the company had come to the same conclusion in its own research, saying:

“We support the EA’s decision. We use a manual dismantling technique because, working in conjunction with a local university, research suggested it would be difficult to account for all the mercury present in the product, partly as a result of bonded mercury.”

Find out more about Recycling Lives’ unique FPD processing centre, or contact Recycling Lives for more details.

Marta Jakóbek and Beata Zmarzly arrived at Recycling Lives at the beginning of March and were provided with a busy schedule of informative meetings, training sessions, presentations and research opportunities during the two weeks they spent with the company.

Marta works as a consultant, connecting with businesses and organisations in and around Krakow in a bid to improve environmental awareness and encourage the implementation of environmentally responsible services, while Beata owns and operates a photocopy lease hire and repair centre. Both women got involved with the Leonardo Da Vinci programme in order to gain a better understanding of best practice in the UK environmental services industry, and, ultimately, to drive change within the Polish environmental services sector.

The first week comprised an introduction to Recycling Lives’ activities and an informal exchange of information about the UK and Polish waste management sectors.  Marta and Beata were treated to a full tour of Recycling Lives’ facilities and given an introduction to the company’s operational activities, complete with Health and Safety training.

They were also given an insight into the structure of Recycling Lives, an organisation comprising both a limited company and a registered charity, enabling them to better understand how the charity is fully sustained by Recycling Lives’ commercial activities.  Finally, they were offered training on social value assessments and were able to conduct interviews with Recycling Lives’ current Residents, enabling them to complete an assessment of their own as part of a case study.

In the second week of the visit, Marta and Beata were invited to take a tour of household waste recycler, Global Renewables’, facility at Farringdon Waste Recovery Park. They also participated in Liverpool Hope University’s Global Entrepreneurship Congress, where speakers covered the topics of ethical business and sustainable growth through good business practice. The week also included a visit to Exsel CIC, where the participants were able to understand  the reuse and recycling activities within a small social enterprise.

With a long-standing commitment to developing relationships with organisations in Poland and throughout Europe, Recycling Lives was pleased to be able to take part in the exchange programme, which offered valuable insights into developing trends in the recycling and waste management sector in Poland.

The organisation was also able to communicate the benefits of a recycling agenda within a commercial context to both Marta and Beata, and demonstrate the possibility of combining commercial viability with a strong corporate social responsibility message. By undertaking training in social value assessments and visiting the Recycling Lives charity, the participants now have a full understanding of how collaborations with accredited training providers can help organisations to assist ‘hard to reach’ members of the community.

As Recycling Lives intends to continue the expansion of both its operations and its combined commercial and charity model throughout the UK and on an international level, the visit has provided an invaluable opportunity to assess its structure and activities against the background of contemporary Polish business, with positive outcomes.

The company has enjoyed playing host to Beata and Marta, who both achieved a ‘very good’ result for their placements, and wishes them all the best in the future.

On March 19th, members of the local police force visited Priory Hill School in Penwortham to discuss road safety to students. The presentation, which made up part of the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership’s ‘Wasted Lives’ scheme, featured talks by members of the emergency services, interactive discussions with pupils about the importance of speed, seatbelts, alcohol and drugs, as well as a hard-hitting reconstruction of a crash scene.

Keen as ever to support the local community, Recycling Lives provided two scrap cars and a moped for the reconstruction. The vehicles were arranged to simulate a serious crash site and students were brought out to watch as members of the fire service cut the ‘injured drivers’ free from damaged vehicles, while Police and ambulance crew members stood by.

The reconstruction confronted the students with the very real consequences of irresponsible and careless driving.

Higher Penwortham PSCO Paul Fitzpatrick commented:

Nationally, one in three young drivers crashes within two years of passing their test. The aim of events like this is to make young people aware of the risks associated with driving so that when they start learning to drive and pass their test they understand the responsibility they have and the importance of driving safely.
“The presentation has already been delivered in several local schools and is very hard hitting but the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with students saying it has really made them think about the consequences of taking risks behind the wheel.

Mark Simpson, Recycling Lives’ Commercial Manager said:

“When we were approached by Paul and asked to provide scrap vehicles for the traffic collision reconstruction, we were more than happy to help. It’s shocking to discover that a third of all new young drivers in the UK have an accident in their first two years behind the wheel, and it’s important to do all we can to get that number down.

“As the Lancashire Road Safety Partnership continues to push out the Wasted Lives scheme at other schools in the region, Recycling Lives will be on hand to provide the vehicles needed for the hard-hitting reconstructions, in the hope that students will take away the message that road safety really does save lives.”

Since September, Recycling Lives has been providing collection and recycling services to seven of the international freight giant’s UK facilities. Following a positive review, UPS has awarded us the contract for the rest of their UK sites – 20 in total! Our team will be collecting and processing of 11 different types of hazardous waste for UPS. Containers will be placed on site and waste will be removed at regular intervals, before being taken to one of our recycling centres, which maintain extremely high recycling rates.

Recycling Lives was offered the chance to undertake a trial contract with UPS after UK & Ireland District Automotive Manager and Automotive Compliance Administrator, Peter Thomas and Katie Anderton, visited the team at the Recycling Lives Centre on Preston’s Essex Street. They were particularly impressed not only by the concept of a successful commercial enterprise being used to fund a sustainable social welfare charity.

“We are delighted to be working with Recycling Lives”, said Cindy Miller, UPS Managing Director, UK, Ireland & Nordics . “Sustainability is of paramount concern to UPS and its operations, and we are thrilled that through this partnership with Recycling Lives we will not only further our green initiatives but help fund social welfare in the local community.”

The Recycling Lives charity offers accommodation, training, education and work experience opportunities to homeless and long-term unemployed people from the local area, helping them to work their way back to independent lives and gain the skills they need to secure a future career.  Many Residents go on to work in the recycling and waste management industries after securing a range of vocational qualifications at Recycling Lives’ in-house training centre.

Every commercial waste contract that Recycling Lives secures helps to bring in vital funds for the charity, and represents potential work experience opportunities for our Residents, either on-site with us or with the corporate partner themselves. By expanding and diversifying the work that it does, Recycling Lives is building opportunities and helping other businesses to expand their Corporate Social Responsibility agendas.

Click here to read this Press Release in PDF format

To find out more about Recycling Lives, please contact Marketing Manager, Adam Ainscough at adam.ainscough@recyclinglives.com or on 01772 654 321

Recycling Lives has been featured on the Department of Work and Pensions’ website as part of  the new Government’s strategy, “Social Justice: transforming lives”, a project that aims to support disadvantaged individuals and families.

The Social Justice strategy sets out new ways to tackle poverty, exploring the root causes of socio-economic issues and promoting sustained lifestyle changes rather than simply increasing the funds dedicated to these problems. Focusing on early intervention, social investment, payment by results and multi-agency delivery, the strategy echoes many of the fundamental aspects of Recycling Lives’ approach to enacting social change, which is why one of organisation’s former Residents has been chosen to feature as a case study on the Department of Work and Pensions website.

Mark, or ‘Sparky’ as he is more commonly known, arrived at Recycling Lives after finding himself living rough on the streets, addicted to drugs and slipping back into a life of crime. He had no long-term goals and no means of realising his short-term ones; life consisted of finding somewhere warm to spend the night.

While at a hostel, Sparky heard about Recycling Lives and, although he was sceptical, decided to make contact with the organisation. He went on to spend two years at Recycling Lives’ Essex Street residential centre, undertaking a variety of work experience placements and gaining almost 40 qualifications. Sparky has secured work and accommodation and is continuing to work with the Recycling Lives team whilst living independently. He hopes to set up his own cleaning business in the near future. He intends to employ other individuals who have completed Recycling Lives’ six-step programme and pass on the benefits he has gained through his time at the organisation.

Of his time at Recycling Lives, Sparky commented:

“Recycling Lives put a roof over my head, fed me, gave me a safe environment, provided a job and helped me get all these qualifications. I’ve stuck at it and made it work. I’ve got my own flat, my mum isn’t ill from the stress and worry I caused and I’m in touch with friends who say they’ve seen a massive improvement in me.

“I’m planning to set up my own cleaning business and I want to employ other people who’ve come through Recycling Lives to run it with me. My life is so different now. I’m proof that Recycling Lives works.”

Steve Jackson, founder and CEO of Recycling Lives, is keen to point out the emphasis that the organisation places on substantive change and inter-agency collaboration. He commented:

“When someone comes to the Recycling Lives centre we provide accommodation, clothing and food. We also work hard to establish a solid work ethic in our Residents. Many of the people we help come from workless backgrounds and have no qualifications, so we work with Preston College to offer education and training on-site.

“We give people the skills they need to work for our business or move on to a job outside of Recycling Lives. By having everything under one roof, we are also able to give these people the support they need to live independently in the future.  Anybody referred to Recycling Lives understands this is not just a housing option, this is a lifestyle change. We provide a pathway to full-time employment and the opportunity for people to break the cycle of dependency they are in.”

The Recycling Lives model, which is designed to be replicable within other organisations and sectors, has won significant praise from key figures in the social justice department, including Mark Fisher CBE, Director of Social Justice and John Doherty, Head of Disability and Social Justice Portfolio, who have both expressed their personal thanks to the organisation for the work it undertakes. Recycling Lives has been invited to engage with the social justice team as it progresses its strategies, which serves to underline the success of its methods.

Recycling Lives looks forward to assisting in the development of new programmes as the strategy progresses, and will continue the expansion of its charitable activities in partnership with the many reputable agencies it works with to improve the lives of those in need.

Click here to to download the Social Justice: Transforming Lives white paper

After beating a number of other companies to the contract, Recycling Lives will now collect and recycle display screen equipment from 17 busy household waste recycling sites across the Merseyside area, increasing the company’s current recycling rate by 2,600 tonnes – equal to an extra 130,000 screens – each year.

The new influx of work represents a significant boost to Recycling Lives’ CRT recycling department and will enable the company to offer more work experience placements and more employment opportunities to its Residents and other unemployed individuals in the local area.

The contract has been awarded to Recycling Lives by Veolia Environmental Services and marks the latest collaboration between the two organisations. Recycling Lives has been carrying out screen collections for Veolia in the Shropshire area since 2007? – a contract that has just been extended by another year – and is in discussions with Veolia regarding the extension of its collection and recycling services to other areas of the country.

David Allen, Development Manager at Recycling Lives’ CRT recycling department, commented:

“Winning Veolia’s CRT collection and recycling contract for Merseyside has been a great start to the new year for us. Here at Recycling Lives, our innovative CRT processing methods and our commitment to consistently high recycling rates mean that we can process a large number of screens safely and efficiently, with minimum impact on the environment.”

“With on-going research into manufacturing unique glass tiles from the material we salvage from old cathode ray tubes, we offer something that no other recycling company is able to: a closed-loop recycling solution for a normally problematic item.”

“We’re pleased that Veolia has chosen to strengthen their partnership with us and look forward to a long and fruitful working relationship with them in the future.”

Click to read the Press Release (PDF format)

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The nine new starters successfully completed a two-day Preparation for Employment (P4E) course last month and have now moved on to a 15-week work programme, which aims to give them the skills, confidence and experience they need to get back into the world of work.

The programme has kicked off at full pace, with project participants undertaking Health and Safety briefings, induction training and enrollment on to an NVQ Level Two in Sustainable Recycling Activities. The course, which includes units such as ‘Promoting sustainability and environmental good practice in the recycling industry’ and ‘Operating specialist plant and equipment for the processing of recyclables and other materials’, will enhance participants’ CVs and highlight their skills to prospective future employers in the recycling and waste management industry.

While the last week has seen the new starters completing the ‘paperwork’ for their courses, they will soon be out and about in Recycling Lives’ newly revamped training area, learning the practical skills that they’ll need for a safe and successful career in the recycling sector.

This is the second intake of participants from theAchieve project in Lancashire and the first time that the successful Achieve referrals have participated in the new programme layout, which includes increased lead-in time in order to allow for better programme preparation. Staff in the training department will, as ever, be keeping a close eye on participants to ensure that they get the best possible support.

Recycling Lives and the Achieve North West programme have a long history of helping offenders and other disadvantaged individuals to get back into work – often when no one else seems willing to give them another chance. Partnerships like these are vital in rebuilding our economy, reducing unemployment and lowering the rate of re-offending.

Sidonie Richardson, HR and Training at Recycling Lives’ training department said:

“It’s been great to welcome another cohort of participants from the Achieve project. With our newly improved programme layout and training area, we offer participants the chance to get the most from both the theory and practical sides of their training with us.

“We have ambitious aims for NVQ and competence-based training over the next couple of years as we understand how vital practical skills and background knowledge are for a career in the waste management and recycling industry. We wish all of the new Achieve project participants the best of luck in their training and look forward to observing their progress over the coming weeks.”

To find out more about Recycling Lives’ participation in the NOMS CFO Achieve North West project, email Sidonie Richardson or call the training team on 01772 654 321.

The Strategy sets out an ambitious new vision for tackling poverty, by exploring how we can tackle the root causes of problems to promote real and sustained change in people’s lives. I have enclosed a hard copy of for you.

I am sincerely grateful for the case study of Sparky you provided, showcasing an excellent example of a service which truly transforms lives. With thanks to all those involved who helped make the case study a reality.

Please do visit the DWP website, where you can watch some of the filmed case studies of Social Justice in action. The site will be gradually updated over the following weeks with more case study videos: www.dwp.gov.uk/socialjustice

Over the next few months we want to engage delivery organisations, commissioners, local government, the voluntary and community sector, business leaders, service users and others in moving our vision of Social Justice forward. I hope that the Recycling Lives will continue to work with the Social Justice team in the next stage of this process

I look forward to working with you in the months ahead.