The Recycling Industry. Help for your recycling business

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1 The Recycling Industry Help for your recycling business

2 In the recycling industry it is often hard to find the right people who understand the industry and its precise needs. This is where WRAP can help WRAP can provide you with free, practical assistance for your recycling business, ranging from business planning and market information, through to technical support, access to funding for equipment and much more. WRAP can help businesses involved in: sorting recyclables; reprocessing recyclates; composting/anaerobic digestion; manufacturing products with recycled content; and producing packaging with recycled content. Helping your business to profit There are many ways in which WRAP can help your business to profit. We provide tailored assistance for recycling businesses. This ranges from a few days support from our industry experts, to having an interim manager on site implementing changes over a few months. Contents: Business planning Finding markets and increasing sales Management support Finding finance Raising finance Access to grants Market information Intellectual Property protection Accessing equipment Sourcing feedstock Improving quality and processes Quality protocols Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs)

3 The consultant that worked with us helped with everything from researching the market place and finding new prospects, to developing our marketing materials and helping us to secure new business. I d definitely recommend WRAP to other companies in our position. We wouldn t have got to the stage we are now without the support of WRAP, there s no question about that. Mat Chapman - Compost Manager MEC Recycling Ltd Business planning A business plan is an essential tool for starting and developing your business. WRAP can help you to develop your business plan, which in turn can lead to increased profits. For those in the early planning stages we can provide a template, and for businesses that have already developed a plan we can review initial drafts, offer guidance to strengthen the business offering and assess if there is any further help required. Finding markets and increasing sales In a developing market, it is important to have the latest information and guidance on how to secure existing markets and reach new markets. WRAP can help you by providing experts to carry out market assessments, develop marketing and sales strategies and implementation plans and provide advice on marketing communications. Management support If you need assistance on developing or improving your management structure and systems, WRAP can help. We can fund consultants to analyse and suggest improvements to your business structure and assist with planning, implementing, maintaining and developing more robust, improved internal management systems - ensuring your business can cope with future growth and development.

4 From our initial contact with WRAP and through the major capital projects, the assistance we received was both highly professional and appropriate. This continued as we began to look for higher value outlets for the products that we could produce with the new facility. Graham Hobson - Financial Director R. Plevin & Sons Ltd Finding finance Increasing numbers of investors are considering the opportunities presented by the recycling industry. However, raising finance still presents a challenge for many companies in this sector, which is where WRAP can help. Raising finance We can: assess different types of finance available to you to enable you to decide which one best suits the needs of your business; assess how to meet the requirements of finance providers; and introduce you to potential investors. Access to grants Where WRAP has identified a strategic need in the recycling industry, capital grant competitions are occasionally run to help companies address it. Capital grants, however, are not available on a rolling basis, and can only be used as financial support towards the capital costs of a project i.e. plant, equipment and infrastructure etc. Contact us for more information on currently available grants and full details of the application process.

5 I d been aware of WRAP for some time, but thought they were a purely advisory organisation. It wasn t until I attended an event locally and met with one of their business advisers that I realised how broad a range of services they offered. Howard Waghorn - Managing Director i-plas, a division of Lynwood Products Ltd Market Situation Report September 2008 Market Situation Report Autumn 2007 Realising the value of recovered plastics Realising the value of recovered glass: An update Market Situation Report Spring 2009 The Chinese markets for recovered paper and plastics Market Situation Report April 2008 Realising the value of organic waste Market Situation Report Winter 2009/10 Realising the value of recovered paper: An update Market information WRAP produces a range of market information and analysis reports that can help guide your business strategy and investment decisions and provide vital information on current market conditions. These include: market situation reports, which provide in-depth information on the latest economic trends and developments facing the UK s recycling industry; the fortnightly materials pricing report, which provides up-to-date prices for a wide range of recovered materials and valuable market intelligence about the factors driving prices; and the market knowledge portal, which provides access to a wealth of market data relating to the recycling industry. Intellectual Property protection Businesses that develop an innovative processing technology or a new recycled product should protect their Intellectual Property (IP). WRAP can help you to identify, understand, analyse and then protect your IP. There are several forms of IP protection including patents and registered designs, trademarks and copyrights. Licensing your IP can help you to secure your market position.

6 As a result of WRAP s help, we could continue with our growth plans at much reduced capital outlay. The funders also have the comfort of knowing that the residual value of the assets is guaranteed by WRAP. Jonathan Short - Managing Director AWS Eco Plastics Ltd Accessing equipment If you need support with site design and specifying appropriate equipment, WRAP can help you by providing on-site assistance. equip equip helps businesses secure financial assistance for new or second hand equipment and machinery by guaranteeing the residual value of equipment as part of an operating lease. WRAP has set up a panel of banks and leasing companies (lessors) who will consider lending to the recycling sector. equip can help businesses involved in the following: the sorting, reprocessing or recycling of glass, plastics, wood, paper, aggregates, plasterboard or organic waste materials; any collection technology or infrastructure that is specifically designed to enhance the above; and the manufacturing of products incorporating any of the recycled materials listed above. Leasing equipment is an additional line of credit for businesses, allowing payments to be spread over a fixed term related to the life of the equipment. Payments are based on the cost of the equipment less its guaranteed residual value, reducing the cost of equipment to businesses.

7 I think that any company looking to get involved in the recycling industry would be missing a great opportunity if they did not contact WRAP. They have a wealth of information and can offer good, sound advice from industry professionals. Stewart Wellens - Managing Director Trojan Services Ltd Sourcing feedstock WRAP can provide assistance and funded consultancy to help you specify and identify new sources of feedstock appropriate to the processes and the location of your business. This will help you to improve the quality and value of your products. Improving quality and processes WRAP can help facilitate process development and thereby increase the operational efficiency of your business. Improving product quality will create a higher value output and make your business more profitable and sustainable. WRAP can help with issues such as improving operational techniques, process flow and certification to industry standards.

8 We felt fully supported at all steps of the scheme, and the initial meeting to discuss our requirements was useful in tailoring the correct consultant for our needs. We are pleased to say that the consultant provided through WRAP dovetailed well with us, and we were able to have sensible, frank discussions with them as to where the business should move to. Simon Meakin - Business Development Manager Natural Organic Fertiliser Company Ltd Quality protocols Working with the Environment Agency, WRAP has produced a number of quality protocols for a range of materials including compost, anaerobic digestate, tyre-derived rubber materials, flat glass and non-packaging plastics. A quality protocol sets end of waste criteria that producers must follow to demonstrate the material they produce has been fully recovered and can therefore be used without having to comply with waste management controls. The Waste Protocols project is a joint WRAP and Environment Agency initiative, in collaboration with industry, funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).

9 Other small or mid-sized companies should definitely consider accessing WRAP support. It will enable them to scrutinise then refine their own current business practises, establish the methods by which the company can increase its revenue, and provide practical help for any future recycling ventures. Because of WRAP s support we are now a forwardlooking, target-driven and confident business, gaining new business and looking to expand and diversify in the future. WRAP has given us the tools with which to achieve all this, but perhaps more importantly it has given us the confidence in our own ability to make it happen. Richard King - Director Jordelle Recycling Ltd Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) Whilst the effect of improved material quality may not be immediately realised, understanding and improving the quality of material output will sustain business over the longer term as reprocessors become ever more demanding regarding the quality of material they are willing to receive. The effects of the economic downturn in late 2008 are still fresh in the memory, and at that time it was only high quality material that was finding a quick route to market. Through our work in the sector we have researched many areas of the industry and have identified the key questions that MRFs should be asking themselves in order to join the high performing MRFs in the UK. Contact WRAP for useful advice on cost-efficient sorting techniques and technologies, identifying emerging trends in MRF sorting practices and techniques that minimise contamination in sorted materials.

10 Working with WRAP has been very useful and productive. We are looking forward to working with them in the future, and we would certainly recommend them to other businesses in a similar position. Ian Murray - Managing Director PVC Recycling Ltd To access tailored advice local to your business, contact: North East: Richard Harris richard.harris@wrap.org.uk North West: Neill Gatley neill.gatley@wrap.org.uk Yorkshire & Humber: Michael Jones michael.jones@wrap.org.uk West Midlands: Claire Atkins claire.atkins@wrap.org.uk East Midlands: Claire McDonnell claire.mcdonnell@wrap.org.uk East of England: Sara Mellor sara.mellor@wrap.org.uk South East: Brent Fowler brent.fowler@wrap.org.uk South West: David Rodgers david.rodgers@wrap.org.uk Scotland: Andrew Dickson andrew.dickson@wrap.org.uk Wales: Christine Melsher (North Wales) christine.melsher@wrap.org.uk Susan Jay (South Wales) susan.jay@wrap.org.uk Northen Ireland: Ian Garner ian.garner@wrap.org.uk

11 Our vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably. We work with businesses and individuals to help them reap the benefits of reducing waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way. Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Waste & Resources Action Programme The Old Academy, 21 Horse Fair, Banbury, Oxon OX16 0AH Tel: Fax: info@wrap.org.uk Helpline freephone Printed on 80% recycled content paper When you have finish