Graeme bags an apprentice
Former footballer Graeme Carter is going green.
Graeme launched Shred Direct in May 2013 and has experienced significant year-on year-growth since.
And now, as the company prepares for year six of business, the decision has been made to switch from plastic bags to paper.
Graeme, 48, who runs the business from East Durham Business Service’s Novus Business Centre in Peterlee, said: “I am committed to being as environmentally friendly as possible and by switching to paper, it means those collection bags can also be shredded and taken to a paper mill and recycled, usually into tissue paper.
“Although this is the costlier option, it is something I’m prepared to do as it makes our process of collecting waste so much greener.
“It’s a significant move for us and something I wanted to implement to coincide with our fifth birthday.”
Graeme recently added apprentice Callum Summerill to his team, taking the number of employees at Shred Direct to five.
He is also expecting year six to see a 20% increase in turnover, as the business continues to win new contracts and secure more work with existing clients. Shred Direct now has a portfolio of more than 250 clients from Scarborough in the south to Ashington in the north.
“Callum has been a great addition to the business and one which was very much needed given the growth we’ve experienced,” said Graeme.
“We have two new vehicles, which between them are covering hundreds of miles every day making collections from businesses around the region, so the extra pair of hands has freed up some of my time.”
“We’re also expecting the next few weeks to be particularly busy following the introduction of GDPR legislation, as people become much more security conscious about the documents they keep.”
Graeme launched Shred Direct with the support of East Durham Business Service.
Before working in recycling industry, he was a central defender at Newcastle United but was restricted to just three substitute appearances because of a persistent shoulder injury.