News: Firm applies for environmental permit at Rotherham site following complaints

The Environment Agency is due to decide whether to grant a permit regarding glass recycling at a site in Rotherham.

The process takes place after operators where served with a statutory abatement order following complaints from nearby residents.

Universal Glass Ltd operates from Rotherham Road in Dinnington. The permit application for non-hazardous waste recycling states that the site includes nine buildings, only two of which would be used for the storage and processing of waste. The others are used as an office, site maintenance and weighbridge etc.

Aplicants say that the throughput of the site is proposed to be less than 75,000 tonnes a year, targeting "wastes consisting predominantly of glass, with smaller fractions of packaging materials."

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Delivered by HGVs, waste would be crushed and screened outside with a second screening inside. Once treated, the materials will be considered a specified, saleable product, and would no longer constitute a waste. Different products would be separately stockpiled and bagged before being loaded to HGVs for onward delivery.

Permitted work would be carried out 8:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday and 8:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays.

Consultants for Universal Glass, MPG say that: "All activities will be conducted in accordance with Environment Agency Guidance.

"There are no emissions arising from the proposed activities. However, the storage, handling and treatment of waste hasthe potential to generate dust and noise emissions" adding that with high concrete block walls, no adverse impact is predicted. Installing hoods on feed hoppers, misting systems or water sprays could also minimise dust.

Responding to the consultation for the permit, Jake Richards, MP for the area, is raising the concerns of constituents. The Rother Valley MP said: "Over the past 14 months, residents living near the site have repeatedly contacted me as their local Member of Parliament to raise concerns about a persistent and often very strong odour affecting the surrounding area.

"It has also been reported to me that Environmental Health officers have attended the area and have experienced the odour themselves. In addition, residents have submitted more than 100 impact statements describing the severity of the issue and the effect it has had on their daily lives. The volume of reports clearly demonstrates the level of concern within the community.

"There remains a lack of confidence locally that the issues will be adequately addressed without further scrutiny."

Respondents also raise issues regarding dust and glass particles from the operations, with some reporting breathing difficulties.

Rotherham councillors have previously discussed motions of no confidence in the Environment Agency on issues such as flooding in Catcliffe and Treeton and Droppingwell Tip in Kimberworth.

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News: Ron Hull Group planning Rotherham expansion

Leading recycling firm, Ron Hull Group, has submitted a planning application that would enable the expansion of its Rotherham site.

Back in 2011. the company bought a vacant 4-acre former warehousing site just a few hundred yards from its Mangham Road base on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate. £4m was invested at the site's main 80,000 sq ft building with the installation of new plant and machinery.

Now plans show a new 54,000 sq ft unit between Greasbrough Road and the existing operations closer to Parkgate.

Application documents explain the the group acquired the land when Rotherham Council indicated that it would likely be used as employment use as part of the wider Bassingthorpe development. A previous application, since withdrawn, was to use the site for storage.

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The latest plans explain that the aim is to move certain processes indoors and "the proposal promises better working conditions and improved control over material quality — for instance, reducing the moisture content on wood that currently devalues its quality when processed in the open.

"Full skips would be delivered into the building where their contents are emptied. The skip contents will be moved via conveyors and be subject to optical, laser and magnetic scans and selection.

"Eventually via operative checks it will be split into different material streams. Materials such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, wood, plastics, and hardcore are then either processed on site or bundled for recycling elsewhere on site or other appropriate facilities. The aim is to extract whatever is of value from the waste and reduce to a minimum the residual that is sent for further recovery and recovered fuel (wood chip) production."

Applicants anticipate an increased throughput of the site is some 250 tonnes and due to the increase in capacity that the development will bring, there is likely to be an increase of approximately 80 HGV two-way trips over the course of the day. The council's transport officers "do not consider this to have a severe impact on the adjacent road network."

A noise assessment has also been included with the application.

If approved, the new development would increase employment by 30 members of staff.

The plans conclude: "The unit would not only provide 30 much needed jobs but also increase the percentage of recycled material recovered. This in turn would reduce raw material requirements and help increase sustainability. In short it would help meet the companies [sic] aim of 'Nil to Landfill'."

Ron Hull Group website

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News: £20m facility boosts growth for CF Booth

Rotherham's CF Booth, one of the UK’s leading metal recycling companies, has received a flexible £20m asset-based lending facility from Independent Growth Finance (IGF) to support its growth ambitions.

Headquartered and founded in Rotherham in the 1920s, CF Booth has grown from a local metal trader into one of the largest independently run metal recycling companies in Europe. With its massive Masbrough site, the business is still family owned and employs over 200 staff and trades both ferrous and non-ferrous metals and processes recycled materials for a wide range of customers across the UK and beyond.

The facility provided by IGF will support the growth ambitions of the business and enable the group to continue investing in operations and performance improvement. Interpath Advisory assisted CF Booth on the deal.





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Christopher Woodcock, financial director at CF Booth, said: “With IGF’s support we have the working capital we need to accelerate our growth and enhance our operational performance. We are extremely positive about the new opportunities this investment will create. It further strengthens our position, allowing us to invest further in our operations, demonstrating our commitment to provide for our customers.”

Richard Spielbichler, ABL Director at IGF in Manchester, commented: “With a proud legacy and a clear strategic direction, CF Booth is well positioned to focus on their future growth and success. This investment will create a step change in the business, allowing them to invest in their operations and increase their capabilities to secure further new contracts.”

CF Booth website

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News: Future of UK glass manufacturing at risk under penalising new government scheme

A new scheme that seeks to make those who put packaging on the market responsible for its entire lifecycle, is expected to damage the future prospects of one of Rotherham's oldest manufacturers.

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme is designed to hold packaging producers responsible for recycling costs and ensure that product design incorporates considerations for disposal and recycling.

Representatives of the UK glass industry argue that the scheme favours lighter, less recyclable packaging.

Beatson Clark, which has been making glass bottles and jars in Rotherham since 1751, specialises in providing glass packaging solutions for niche brands in the food, drink and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.

Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, recently raised this issue again in parliament. She said: "I am immensely proud to have Beatson Clark in my constituency, which has been manufacturing glass in Rotherham for more than 270 years. It is a key local employer, and the only remaining independent UK-owned glass container manufacturer. It is also the only company in the UK that still produces amber pharmaceutical glass. After adding in the supply chain, more than 2,000 people are dependent on Beatson Clark for their livelihood.

"Glass manufacture is energy-intensive, but with electric and hybrid furnaces and readily available technology there is no reason why glass cannot be a net zero product in the not too distant future, especially with Government support with infrastructure and electricity costs, as per the Climate Change Committee’s recommendations. Yet, because of the Government’s dogged decision to press ahead with extended producer responsibility, initiated by the previous Administration, we instead face the decimation of our domestic glass industry.

"Job losses and the closure of sites are literally just around the corner. That is not the industry overreacting. British Glass has already received warnings from more than one beer and cider manufacturer that there is no future for glass in this country due to the EPR policy. EPR follows hot on the heels of a challenging few years for UK glass manufacturing. The energy crisis, increased costs and a reduction in trade tariffs from 6% to 0% since leaving the EU have made cheaper imported glass so much more attractive."

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The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently published per-tonne fees to be introduced in the EPR scheme.

Trade body, British Glass, warns that despite glass making up only 5% of collected packaging by volume, it will bare around one-third of total costs. This means the per-unit impact on glass – which is how brands and retailers buy products – is estimated to be 3 to 5 times higher than competing materials – meanwhile - competing beverage packaging (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), aluminium and steel) will face no costs due to inclusion in a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) until late 2027.

Beatson Clark explains that glass is 100% recyclable forever, and it can be melted down repeatedly to create new bottles without any loss of quality or integrity. Amber glass containers manufactured by Beatson Clark contain 56% post-consumer recycled material on average, while the figure for white flint is 36%. Any waste glass created during the manufacturing process is also recycled back into the furnace, so there is zero waste and even lower use of raw materials.

The manufacturer, which has invested millions of pounds in its Greasbrough Road facility in recent years, processes around 44,000 tonnes of waste glass recovered from kerbside collections, bottle banks and the hospitality trade on site.

Beatson Clark website

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News: Plans approved for pioneering plastics to hydrogen facility in Rotherham

A planning application has been approved for a pioneering new centre in Rotherham that would divert tonnes of plastic waste from landfill and convert it to hydrogen and electricity.

Newton Hydrogen Limited want to use an empty part of the Magna Science Adventure Centre at Templeborough to house an an advanced facility which would apply pyrolysis technology to generate Green Hydrogen from upto 13,000 tonnes of plastic per year which is not suitable for recycling and would be designated for landfill.

The facility would use a HydroPlas reactor developed by Canadian firm, Fusion One. Waste plastic is shredded and subjected to very high temperatures in a zero-oxygen environment. The reactor produces a syngas through the pyrolysis of plastic wastes. The thermal decomposition breaks the complex polymer chains down into a Hydrogen rich syngas which is first cooled, creating energy for use around the site and then is separated and purified to extract the Hydrogen from the other components in the syngas.

The applicant explained that the proposed production and research facility would create up to 35 job opportunities and provide a facility that can be incorporated into the visitor experience section as part of the wider Magna site.

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In an existing vacant area within the easternmost section of the main Magna building, the proposal would be primarily a test production facility and would not operate as a fully commercial hydrogen production facility.

The plastic waste would consist of upto 40 tonnes delivered per day of SRF plastic [non-recyclable combustible solid waste] which is stored internally in baled bunkers. Two HGV deliveries are expected each day.

Approved without going to the planning board, the planner's report concludes: "Overall the principle of the change of use for predominantly employment and research purposes is considered to be acceptable in this location and compatible with the adjacent Magna Science Centre, a popular visitor and tourist attraction.

"The external alterations to be building are considered to have an acceptable visual appearance and will bring back a redundant part of the building. The highway safety aspect is considered acceptable and the application has satisfactorily considered the flood risk and drainage elements."

The next stage is for the operators is to secure an environmental permit from the Environment Agency.

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News: Celsa receives approval for Rotherham processing plant

Celsa has received the approval of the planning board at Rotherham Council for a new operation in the borough to support its steelmaking facilities in South Wales.

A number of local firms are unhappy with the proposals.

The Spanish group operates Celsa Steel UK in Cardiff, one of the largest manufacturers of long steel products in the UK. It currently has a steel mill and two rolling mills dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated steel, light profiles and commercial bars.

Plans were submitted earlier this year to create a shear processing plant on a scrap yard off Sheffield Road, Ickles.

Plans are for the proposed construction and operation of Rotherham Metal Recovery Centre, which would process, store and distribute up to 75,000 tonnes per year of ferrous scrap metal. It would create six new jobs.

The plans were approved after planners concluded that: "The site is allocated for industrial and business purposes in the adopted local plan and whilst it acknowledged that the proposed development does not fall within the permitted use classes, the industrial nature of the process would not conflict with existing operations on adjacent sites. Accordingly, the proposals are considered to be acceptable in principle."

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The plans went before the planning board last week due to the number of representations received.

Emma Ottewell, development manager, explained: "We received six letters of objection and those mainly relate to the impact of the operation on similar businesses in the area but they do also mention contamination and drainage."

Jason Booth, director of Rotherham-based CF Booth Ltd, said that local metal recyclers were worried for their businesses. In a letter to the Council, he said: "We employ over 250 employees who's [sic] jobs would all be in jeopardy if this plant was to go ahead. We have been established in Rotherham for over 80 years and managed to battle competition throughout, however, this would completely crush us and many other metal recyclers, large and small, in South Yorkshire.

"Rotherham does not need another Sheer Processing Plant. Rotherham town centre has already died to larger retail companies opening nearby and the same thing will happen to metal recycling companies large and small if this goes ahead. What will be left of Rotherham's oldest metal recycler?"

But the objection holds little weight in planning terms. Council planners said: "In addressing this matter, the loss of trade to a competitor or competition is not a material planning consideration and therefore cannot be taken into consideration in this instance."

Gareth Price, scrap purchasing manager at Celsa UK, said: "Our Rotherham operation is an important feeder yard for our mill and one that we are seeking to develop further.

"The case officer rightly points out that commercial matters are not material to this decision on whether planning permission should be granted and therefore this is not something that should inform the decision."

Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approved the plans.

Celsa UK website

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News: Celsa submits plans for Rotherham processing plant

It might be 200 miles away but Celsa is progressing plans to open a new operation in Rotherham to support its steelmaking facilities in South Wales.

The Spanish group operates Celsa Steel UK in Cardiff, one of the largest manufacturers of long steel products in the UK. It currently has a steel mill and two rolling mills dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated steel, light profiles and commercial bars.

The company has now submitted a planning application to create a shear processing plant on a scrap yard off Sheffield Road, Ickles.

Plans are for the proposed construction and operation of Rotherham Metal Recovery Centre which would process, store and distribute up to 75,000 tonnes per year of ferrous scrap metal.

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Drawn up by consultants at TNEI, the plans state: "Collection would focus mainly on the form of cars, white goods/household appliances and  sorted light  collector's  scrap from industrial and medium sized businesses within the local Rotherham area. Following collection, approximately 15% of material would be re‐distributed and the remaining 85% processed through a mixture of shearing and screening operations on site.

"The recovery of metal in this way helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and uses much less energy than producing metal from virgin ore. Recycled metals have already been refined and processed once and therefore the use of recycled metals reduces the use of natural resources and energy as the second time is much less energy‐intensive."

The land is adjacent to the rail line running to the east of the site and that is used for the delivery and shipment of metals to the Celsa Cardiff site.

Employing six staff, the operation is expected to generate traffic in the form of ten lorries, five skip lorries and six bulk tippers per day.

Celsa UK website

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News: Large fire at Rotherham recycling site

12 fire engines and 60 firefighters tackled a large fire at a recycling centre in Kilnhurst, Rotherham yesterday, just over a year after a previous fire on the site.

Firefighters were called to the scene at around 4:30pm on Sunday to Moulding Solutions Ltd and Universal Recycling on Wharf Road where plumes of thick smoke could be seen for miles around.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) called on specialist vehicles including detection and monitoring equipment, a high volume pump and a turntable ladder.

Fire officers urged people to avoid the area and for local residents, officers advised them to keep all windows and doors shut due to the smoke within the area.

Wharf Road was closed wit a cordon put in place while firefighters dealt with the blaze. The site is close to relatively new housing developments by Gleeson and Gladedale (now Avant Homes).

The fire service took to social media to keep people up to date on the incident stating that they expected residents would be able to travel as usual today. Two fire engines remained this morning, largely damping down the fire.

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SYFR confirmed that no-one was injured in the incident and said in a statement: "Officers would like to thank the local community for their understanding and patience while work is underway to deal with incident and ensure everyone's safety."

Moulding Solutions Ltd is a major recycler servicing general industry, recycling end of life, scrap and redundant plastics.

Investing in new shredders and granulators, the firm can process four tonnes per hour, taking in scrap and redundant stock from manufacturers and selling on polymers and compounds.

Moulding Solutions shares the Kilnhurst site with The London Wiper Company Ltd, trading as Universal Recycling.

Universal Recycling expanded in 2014 as it looked to grow. However, prices and market forces in the recycling have hit turnover which dropped by £10m between 2015 and 2016.

The company has targeted the WEEE recycling market, investing in a facility to recover various metal components from electric and electronic waste.

A fire at the premises on May 8 2017 destroyed part of the company's stock but Moulding Solutions Ltd was unaffected. An investigation indicated that the fire started accidentally due to machinery.

Moulding Solutions Ltd website
Universal Recycling website
SYFR website

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News: Renewi struggling with Rotherham waste contract

Renewi plc (formerly Shanks plc) has been forced to make a £27m provision in its accounts as a result of its loss-making contract at the 220,000 sq ft "BDR" waste facility in Rotherham.

The Manvers centre creates material suitable for recovery and recycling and includes Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities.

Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Councils secured £77m through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for the scheme and Shanks Group plc joined in partnership with SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) to progress the plans. Known as 3SE, the operators signed a 25 year contract worth in excess of £750m with the councils for the treatment of black bag waste.

In an update to the stock exchange on its municipal division, Renewi detailed increased onerous contract provisions in respect of the BDR and Wakefield PFI operating contracts, "reflecting prudent recognition of expected future losses over the remaining lives of the contracts."

An onerous contract is a contract where costs to fulfill terms are higher than the financial and economic benefit that is received.

Last year, Renewi said that PFI contracts had come under pressure as a result of austerity measures, poor performance or because the contracts are inappropriate in the current market environment.

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In a statement, Renewi said: "While the contracts at BDR and Wakefield both date back to 2011, the current financial year is the first full year of operation for both. Accordingly, given the financial and operational performance of these assets this year and specifically the material underperformance in organic throughput, subsidies and off-take pricing compared with the original contractual assumptions made many years ago, the Board has concluded that additional onerous contract provisions of £27m and £30m respectively are now required.

"These provisions will be accounted for in the Group's results for the year ending 31 March 2018 using a prudent discount rate. While these long term contracts may be subject to material changes in conditions over their remaining lives of up to 22 years, the Board does not anticipate any further provisions, assuming no material and lasting change in market conditions for off-take."

For example, paper and cardboard recycling markets in the UK and throughout the globe have faced a dramatic slump following China putting in place limitations on imports.

The firm previously reported that the operating contracts of Wakefield and BDR continue to be loss making in the current market conditions, despite substantial operational improvements. It added that underlying trading in the municipal division was on track for the current financial year and that good operational progress is being made against the recovery plans.

At Manvers, where 95% of waste is diverted from landfill, the contractor is currently performing at 15.17% for recycling and is on target to achieve the 12.5% recycling performance by the end of the financial year. The contract includes a 12.5% termination trigger and a 19% target.

Rotherham Council recently approved its budget which sees around a million pounds committed to allow the Council to move towards the introduction of kerbside collection of plastics – an issue that has been raised as a priority by residents in the recent waste service consultation.

It is not clear what affect this move would have on the the PFI contract which sees plastics, and other recyclables, processed from Rotherham's black bin waste.

BDR website
Renewi website

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News: Temporary closure at Rotherham waste facility

Shanks Group plc, one of Europe's leading waste management businesses, was forced to temporarily close its multimillion pound Rotherham facility during a difficult third quarter of trading.

The closure of the 220,000 sq ft development at Brookfield's Park in Manvers enabled the main contractor to make modifications to the plant to improve future performance.

The centre creates material suitable for recovery and recycling and includes Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities.

Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Councils secured £77m through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) for the scheme and Shanks Group plc joined in partnership with SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) to progress the plans. Known as 3SE, the operators signed a 25 year contract worth in excess of £750m with the councils for the treatment of black bag waste.

The facility processes around 250,000 tonnes of waste a year from 340,000 homes across Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. Since it opened in July 2015, more than 96% of waste has been successfully diverted from landfill.

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In its latest trading results Shanks plc stated: "The Municipal Division had a very difficult third quarter, with the impact of both the mix and prices of the fuels that we produce being worse than expected, particularly at East London Waste Authority (ELWA).

"The Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) facility was also temporarily closed to allow the main contractor to make modifications to the plant to improve future performance.

"Management continue to focus closely on this division: the recovery initiatives announced with the interim results in November are being implemented and further plans are being developed by the new divisional management team to improve performance. We believe that these actions will turnaround the business, with the benefits starting to be seen in 2017/18."

Recovery initiatives include improving and realigning contracts and ramping up to expected performance levels at its operations.

A recent update to local councillors stated that "there have been some issues which have affected the recycling performance of the facility." These include ongoing issues with a poor market for recycling plastics from an MBT. The price of oil is low; this means the virgin plastic material is cheap and consequently lowers the value of the recyclable material.

The update added: "During October to December, work was undertaken at Bolton Road to replace shredder rails and improve the refinement section. As a result, a proportion of treated waste did not have recyclable material extracted and some waste was diverted to third parties. The Contactor has mitigated the impact of these issues by: paying to get plastics reprocessed; paying for waste to be taken to third parties who can also recover recyclable material from the residual waste; making the improvements to the refinement section to increase the throughput of material and the recycling captured by the process."

It was also reported that Shanks Group Plc as operating contractor for the BDR Facility are in the process of negotiating a merger with Van Gansewinkel Group. The merger is not expected to impact on the BDR Project although it is likely that Shanks Waste Management will be rebranded.

A number of tours for the public are taking place at the Manvers facility on February 18.

Shanks plc website
BDR website

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News: Rotherham waste facility fully operational

The multimillion pound waste facility at Manvers, Rotherham is up to full capacity and is set to divert 96% of waste it receives away from landfill.

International waste-to-product business, Shanks Group plc has reached full service at the waste treatment facility in Rotherham, part of a £750m contract with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Councils.

The development at Brookfield's Park is designed to create material suitable for recovery and recycling and includes Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities.

The three councils secured £77m through the Private Finance Initiative for the scheme and Shanks Group plc, one of Europe's leading waste management businesses, joined in partnership with SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) to progress the plans. Known as 3SE, the operators signed a 25 year contract worth in excess of £750m with the councils for the treatment of black bag waste.

Constructed by Balfour Beatty, more than 40 new jobs have been created at the Dearne Valley operation.

Shanks will divert up to 96.5% of the waste it receives from landfill in addition to saving the equivalent to 114,000 tonnes of CO2 at its facility every year.

The facility will treat up to 265,000 tonnes of household waste from the three councils and turn it into various products such as recyclates, biogas for energy generation, a nutrient-rich digestate and a waste derived fuel. Shanks will provide waste derived fuel to Multifuel Energy Limited, a 50/50 joint venture between SSE and Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., for use in their new multi-fuel facility at Ferrybridge which is currently going through its commissioning phase.

Peter Eglinton, managing director of Shanks' Municipal Division, said: "We are delighted to reach full service on this important contract with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Councils. As a leading waste-to-product company, we are excited to divert up to 96.5% of waste from landfill in addition to making a significant CO2 saving at our facility. Reaching this important milestone means that we can now work closely with our customer to continuously improve the plant and accelerate making more from waste."

Beth Baxter, BDR Manager, reported to a recent joint meeting of the three councils that seven complaints about noise had been received from the arc of streets immediately in the vicinity of the site and that actual noise levels were higher than anticipated in the noise models. Two separate noise surveys had been completed and a third was expected. A noise baffler had been commissioned and monitoring would continue.

BDR Waste Partnership website
Shanks plc website

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News: Rotherham recycling firm prosecuted over young worker’s injury

Rotherham-based, C F Booth, one of the largest independently run recycling companies in Europe, has been sentenced over serious safety dangers on a conveyor after a 25-year-old worker had his arm broken in three places when it was drawn into unguarded machinery.

The £200m turnover company specialises in metal recycling and metal ingot manufacturing of both ferrous and non ferrous metals for UK import and export.

Ryan Jackson, from Rawmarsh, also suffered a cracked shoulder blade and had a radial nerve shredded to the bone in the incident at the firm's large site on Armer Street on December 4 2013.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified a guard by the tail drum where Mr Jackson was operating had been removed and there was no emergency stop button. In addition HSE found guarding on the whole conveyor was insufficient.

Rotherham Magistrates heard this week that Mr Jackson, who was relatively inexperienced, had been on his own at the time and was attempting to remove a blockage from the conveyor. He had believed the machine would need an electrician to restart it once it had cut out due to the blockage.

However, once he had cleared the debris, the machine started running and his arm was drawn in and badly injured.

HSE told the court that the tail drum of the conveyor had previously had a mesh guard but this had been removed at some point before the incident. There was an emergency stop cord down one side of the conveyor but nothing immediately to hand by the tail drum.

C F Booth Ltd had no management system to check that guards were in place and that emergency stops and/or pull cords were working. The company had also received written advice from HSE in May 2013 relating to the guarding of end drums on other conveyors on site.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Carol Downes said: "This was a horrifying incident that has left Mr Jackson with perhaps a permanent physical impairment. It also had a profound psychological impact on him at a crucial time for a young family.

"Incidents of this kind occur all too frequently in the recycling sector and the onus is on companies, like CF Booth Ltd, to acknowledge the dangers posed by unguarded machinery in general, and tail end drums of conveyors in particular, and to take action. The company had been warned before and there can be no excuse for its subsequent failings.

"Employers have a duty to ensure that machinery is properly guarded and should take steps to ensure that guards remain in place. HSE will continue to prosecute when worker safety is compromised."

C F Booth Ltd was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,595 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

C F Booth website

Images: C F Booth

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News: S2S shred across Europe

S2S Group, one of the leading players in electronics manufacturing, asset recovery and electronics recycling, has recently returned from a successful shredding tour of mainland Europe.

Consolidating its sites in 2012, S2S is based at Manvers and specialises in data destruction, asset management and WEEE recycling. Parts of the group provide asset recovery, secure destruction and the recycling and refurbishing of old electronic equipment including computers and mobile phones. Other parts specialise in the design and manufacture of circuit boards and associated products for the rail and power generation industries.

Secure data destruction experts from S2S were entrusted by clients to take their mobile shredder and securely destroy a range of media devices (including hard drives and tapes) at sites across Europe. The team completed secure shredding jobs in Paris and Frankfurt before finally making a secure collection in Brussels. 

Chris Hare, business development director at S2S Group said: "Our clients are used to a high level of service and security from S2S. This is what sets us apart from other data destruction companies. Clients know they can trust us with their sensitive data and when they have a requirement for our services at sites out of the UK they don’t want to risk using anyone else."

Back in Rotherham, S2S Group has once again been awarded accreditation from Safecontractor, a leading third party accreditation scheme which recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors.

Rachel Hall, operations manager at S2S said, "S2S's renewal of the Safecontractor accreditation was driven by our need for a uniform standard across the business.

"This is the third year we have held the accreditation and shows our commitment to achieving excellence in health and safety."

The accreditation should help to secure further contracts and as the public become increasingly aware of data protection and the WEEE recycling sector continues to grow, S2S Group has increased their team of recycling advisors to deal with the growing number of enquiries in to the business.

Sheridan Birks and Ryan Tubbs have been recruited to join the team at the Rotherham site as recycling advisors and have been quickly learning about the range of recycling and data destruction solutions offered by S2S Group.

S2S Group website

Images: S2S

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News: S2S to expand presence with E-Waste

S2S Group, one of the leading players in electronics manufacturing, asset recovery and electronics recycling, has signed a deal with US-based electronic waste management firm, E-Waste Systems to collaborate on reverse logistics and expand the presence of both companies.

Consolidating its sites in 2012, S2S is based at Manvers and specialises in the design and manufacture of circuit boards and associated products for the rail and power generation industries. Other parts of the group provide asset recovery, secure destruction and the recycling and refurbishing of old electronic equipment including computers and mobile phones.

A Teaming Agreement and an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the publicly-traded Cincinnati company which has an aggressive growth strategy to target the opportunities created by the soaring international demand for electric and electronic products that is in turn fueling a global rise in "e-waste" that could reach an estimated 65.4 million tons annually by 2017.

The waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) regulations are EU directives aimed at reducing the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment that ends up in landfill. S2S is a third party provider that helps manufacturers and retailers in reverse logistics which can include reuse, recycling and documented disposal.

Alan Dukinfield, managing director at S2S (pictured, right), said: "S2S have been in the WEEE sector for over 20 years and in recent years our focus has been on asset recovery and realising maximum environmental benefit and value for assets for clients whilst maintaining a high level of security. The partnership with E-Waste allows us to bring an established solution to a wider audience, to share standards and processes and be part of worldwide solution for asset recovery."

Martin Nielson, founder and CEO of E-Waste Systems (pictured, left), added: "In furtherance of our growth objectives, we have entered into a Teaming Agreement with S2S Electronics and signed an MOU to collaborate jointly on reverse logistic operations in the UK and all of Europe. This is going to be another milestone in our business plan giving EWSI a footprint in Europe and expanding our branded operations. With the management team at S2S we have agreed to implement new technologies and services to improve the already wide range of solutions offered.

"Discarded electronics remain a big problem and partnering with S2S, a very experienced company, provides us the infrastructure to fulfill our commitments while achieving the highest standards and zero landfilling within Europe."

S2S Group website
E-Waste website

Images: E-Waste Systems

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News: Exciting opportunity for MGB Plastics

Rotherham-based manufacturer, MGB Plastics could grow into the leading plastic recycling container business in the UK after its Irish parent company acquired Yorkshire firm, Straight plc.

MGB Plastics is the UK's leading manufacturer of wheeled bins and its Barbot Hall facility has been expanded a number of times and now has the manufacturing capacity of 1.5 million wheeled bins per annum.

Leeds-based Straight has its manufacturing facility in Hull and specialises in kerbside recycling solutions for organic waste and dry recyclables plus containers for hazardous waste and workplace recyclables.

A deal was recently concluded that saw Dublin-based One 51 plc, the owner of MGB, acquire Straight plc for £10.7m.

In its first interim financial results since concluding the deal, Alan Walsh, group chief executive of One51 plc, said: "Our businesses performed strongly in the first half of the year. Since the AGM in May, we have undertaken a capital raising exercise which saw strong demand from existing and new investors.

"We have also recently completed the acquisition of Straight plc which, when integrated with our MGB business, will present us with an exciting opportunity to become the leading plastic recycling container business in the UK and to expand into export markets."

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Straight is being integrated with MGB. Customers include local authorities, purchasing and recycling organisations and utilities. Straight plc also works with private waste management companies, corporate businesses, facilities management companies, the health care sector and educational facilities.

Both manufacturers recently secured multi-million pound contracts from Birmingham City Council as part of the largest roll-out of bins ever seen in Western Europe. MGB will supply 350,000 bins for general household waste and 380,000 bins for recyclable waste, whilst Straight is supplying 350,000 caddies that will be inserted into the recycling bins, for the collection of paper.

Turnover at Straight was £26.1m last year. Turnover on a like-for-like basis for One51's plastics division was £81.5m in 2013.

One 51 reported pre tax profits before exceptional items of €3.6m for the first half of this year, has reduced its debts and secured additional banking facilities.

One51 plc website

Images: MGB Plastics

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News: Universal Recycling expansion plans backed by Barclays

Universal Recycling has announced expansion plans at its Rotherham site and is targeting a turnover of £50m, backed by funding from Barclays.

Specialists in scrap metal recycling, WEEE recycling and cable recycling, the firm has purchased a 7.25-acre site adjacent to its current site on Wharf Road, Kilnhurst. This is thought to be the previous home of pallet racking firm, Redirack before it entered administration at the start of the year.

The family run business has been operating for over 30 years and also operates a site in Lancashire. It works with metal merchants, local authorities and cable and white good manufacturers. It has continued to invest in machinery and is currently the UK's largest cable recycler. Dedicated machines are used to strip, shred and separate cabling in order to produce granulated products such as copper granules and equestrian surfacing.

John Hughes, managing director at Universal Recycling, said: "Our current site is literally bursting at the seams and so we've been delighted to secure the funding to purchase the adjacent 7.25 acre site to expand our operations. The new premises will enable us to increase production whilst streamlining operational efficiencies and we hope to create new jobs as our plans develop."

Matthew Chenery, relationship director at Barclays, added: "John and his team are longstanding customers and it's great that we've been able to support their growth plans which will create much needed jobs in the area. Universal Recycling is a well-run family business prospering in the current climate and investing for the future, taking advantage of the general economic upturn."

Universal Recycling currently employs 52 staff and a further 52 agency staff. It has previously attempted to secure planning permission to allow the Kilnhurst site to operate 24 hours a day.

Turnover this year is expected to be over £50m.

Universal Recycling website

Images: Universal Recycling

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News: Recruitment at new Rotherham waste facility

Recruitment is underway for a range of jobs at the new 20,500 sq m waste facility in Manvers, Rotherham, which is due to be fully operational by July 2015.

A partnership between Shanks Group plc and SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc), 3SE plans to use three sites to treat waste with this new facility adjacent to the NEXT warehouse at Brookfield's Park, designed to create material suitable for recovery and recycling.

The Bolton Road facility would receive up to 265,000 tonnes per annum and treat leftover household waste, and a small amount of commercial waste, from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. The three councils secured £77m through the Private Finance Initiative for the scheme.

The development will include a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facilities and the plant is expected to create 40 jobs.

Colin Fletcher, contracts director at Shanks, said: "We are delighted to be at the stage where we are starting to recruit our team for this exciting new development which will revolutionise the treatment of leftover household waste from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

"We need to fill a wide range of roles and we look forward to taking this major step forward and getting people on board ready for the opening next summer. After this initial recruitment drive we will also be holding a job shop event in October to make further appointments."

The plant will process municipal solid and organic waste into recycled products, solid recovered fuel (SRF) and biogas for energy generation, and digestate for compost and fertilizer.

Construction began in 2012 with Birse and Mansell (both part of Balfour Beatty) securing the £34m contract for the buildings and infrastructure as part of a new Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility.

Shanks is working closely with the three BDR partner councils and Jobcentreplus to highlight the new jobs opportunities within local communities.

Shanks will operate the facility over the 25-year period of the contract until 2040. It estimates that the contract is worth £750m.

Shanks website
BDR Waste Partnership website

Images: BDR Waste Partnership

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News: Roy Hatfield Ltd wins Queen's Award for Enterprise

Roy Hatfield Ltd, a Rotherham-based recycling company, has won a Queen's Award for Enterprise 2014, the most prestigious accolades for businesses in the United Kingdom.

The corporate awards recognise outstanding achievements by UK companies in three categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development. Roy Hatfield Ltd has won the award for innovation for creating a process for recycling waste gypsum.

Roy Hatfield Ltd was formed in 1971 when the founder Roy Hatfield recognised a demand in the market place for quality and consistent alternative raw materials destined for the concrete industry. The firm grew to become the UK's first and largest manufacturer of decorative and industrial concrete finishing products.

In 1985 the firm moved to Templeborough with a custom manufacturing facility and on site laboratory which is where the company still operates from today.

Anticipating legislation banning gypsum-based waste streams from landfills, the company developed methods for stripping the substance from ceramics and plasterboard.

Plasterboard is made of a gypsum plaster core with a paper facing. Approximately 270 million sq m of product are produced, distributed and used annually in the UK and its use in the construction industry creates a lot of waste through off-cuts and dismantling.

Having researched the market for recycled gypsum, Roy Hatfield established a bespoke facility and created a partnership with a British waste management firm in 2005. Following continual investment and expansion, the Rotherham site processes 50,000 tonnes of waste plasterboard per annum.

The Hatfield process enables organisations to comply with Environmental Agency regulations without incurring the significant expense of using specialist landfill sites and delivers considerable savings to customers, who can buy recycled gypsum at reduced prices. Importantly, it avoids toxic hydrogen sulphide gas from gypsum contaminating bio-degradable waste in landfill sites.

The recycled gypsum is used as a direct replacement for primary or secondary gypsum and can be used to create new plasterboard, in cement manufacture and agriculture. Hatfield uses it to replace talc as a colouring product for its own forms of decorative and industrial coloured concrete. It has been used sympathetically in the 250 year old grade I listed garden at Alnwick Castle and to create the distinctive blue walkways and balconies at the Selfridges store at Birmingham Bull Ring.

Grant Hatfield, director at Roy Hatfield Ltd, said: "We are extremely proud to have been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in Innovation. The award acknowledges our dedicated team at Roy Hatfield Ltd — it is because of their efforts we were able to develop such a intricate recycling process on a large, commercially viable scale."

The recycling plant has processed over 300,000 tonnes of waste gypsum to date and the award coincides with the introduction of a third shift allowing 24/7 running of the plant. This new shift will see production ramp up to 1,300 tonnes per week with the company stating that further plans for expansion are still on the cards in the near future.

Roy Hatfield Ltd website

Images: Roy Hatfield Ltd

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News: Big projects for Ron Hull Jnr

When your "old iron" is just a bit too big for the rag and bone scrap man, contact Rotherham recycling experts, Ron Hull Jnr Ltd.

The Mangham Road-based operation has completed some of their biggest projects over recent months.


In August, the recycling division successfully transported a 75 tonne electrical transformer to their Rotherham site, where it was safely dismantled for resale and recovery.

Again using their 120 tonne heavy haulage low loader, the company transported a massive electrical shaft to Rotherham where the parts were removed for resale and all ferrous and non ferrous items were recovered. Huge, 80 tonne heavy lifting cranes were needed to unload the electrical items.

The heavy haulage low loader was out again recently to help transport a large 58 tonne pressure vessel that was used in the petroleum industry. It was delivered directly into the recycling centre and Waste Management Transfer Station at Parkgate.

Last year, the Ron Hull Group, invested around £5m to create a new high-tech reprocessing centre on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate. The plant processes 100% of the waste received, with the capability to process up to 50 tonnes per hour.

Ron Hull Group website

Images: ronhull.co.uk

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News: C.F. Booth wins first Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Rotherham-based, C.F. Booth, one of the largest independently run recycling companies in Europe, has been awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade as export sales reached an impressive £132m in 2011.

The company specialises in metal recycling and metal ingot manufacturing of both ferrous and non ferrous metals for UK import and export. Their Clarence Metal Works on Armer Street is thought to be the largest scrapyard in Europe.

Established in 1920 it has grown from a local metal trader and sustained investment in staff, technology and equipment enables C.F. Booth to be at the forefront of the industry and able to meet the ever growing global demand for recycled metals.

An extensive range of services includes specialist forms of scrap metal recycling and the trading and processing of all grades of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap.

One of their most high-profile contracts sees end-of-the-line carriages from the London Underground travel up to Rotherham to be dismantled and recycled. Over 200 carriages are expected to make the journey.

The manufacture of a wide range of copper-based ingots and forged parts for use mainly in the marine industry has developed new and exciting business opportunities throughout Scandinavia and Eastern Europe consolidating the company's exporting pedigree.

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are highly prestigious awards for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of Innovation, International Trade and Sustainable Development.

C.F. Booth Ltd has won the Queen's Award for International Trade for an outstanding performance over the last three years. Export sales are 56% of turnover which is well in excess of industry sector averages contributing to overseas earnings growth of 81%. For the year to March 31 2011, turnover increased by a massive £100m to £237m.

Ken Booth, director of C.F. Booth, said: "We are honoured to have been given such a prestigious award, it really does endorse the fantastic team we have assembled at C.F. Booth and means a lot to us. We are a very proud British company and are excited about the future. We are certain that this award will only serve to enhance our reputation throughout the world."

As well as instant recognition, C.F. Booth will welcome a Royal representative to Rotherham during the year to present a crystal bowl and receive an invitation to attend a special reception at Buckingham Palace.

Fellow Rotherham metals specialist, Kiverton Park Steel, also picked up a Queen's Award for Enterprise for International Trade for 2012.

C.F. Booth website

Images: cfbooth.com

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