RECYCLING at Kintyre’s premier exponents of the art comes in many different guises
Charitable business, Kintyre Recycling Limited (KRL), which generates £300,000 for Kintyre’s economy each year and currently employs 25 people - is constantly widening the items its workers, more than half of whom are disabled, can recycle.
Already textiles, food and drinks cans paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays are collected and quality sorted at factory premises to ensure maximum value.
KRL has recently added a security paper shredder and portable appliance testing (PAT) and even bicycles are recycled.
Business manager, Amanda Card, 51, who herself started as a volunteer in 1997, hopes that when the new £1 million Ben Gullion Road factory is up and running further recycling initiatives will be added.
Recently staff have been sent away on training courses to learn about recycling upholstery, and gained qualifications in the testing and repair of white goods, such as washing machines, which can greatly extend their life.
Mrs Card said: ‘This will allow us in our future premises to provide affordable second hand furniture and white goods.
‘Often a simple fix will keep a washing machine going rather than it becoming another item of waste.
The project began as a true grassroots operation at the Woodlands Resource Centre, Campbeltown’s part of Argyll and Bute’s learning disability service.
Staff decided, about 20 years ago, to make some extra money, for extra curricular activities, by collecting aluminium cans and flattening them by stamping on them.
This evolved into Campbeltown Waste Watchers, set up in 1997, which operated out of half of the Roading Garage, owned by Bobby Martin, at that time.
Other supporters at that time included Andy Law and Alan Miller who ran the waste department at Argyll and Bute Council.
The council have also helped the organisation over the years with machinery and signage on vehicles. The organisation became Kintyre Recylcing Limited in 2007 and employing persons with special needs, learning difficulties or mental health issues has always been one of the social enterprises primary aims.
Mrs Card said: ‘We have had some notable successes such as Peter Lang who could not drive when he came to us and now operates the fork lift truck as well as holding a driving licence.’
For others skills such as using scissors, which many take for granted have been taught by KRL.
Three employees have been accredited with the Gold Velotech certificate for servicing bikes and KRL sells bikes recycled
from donated machines and provides services and repairs. There is an aim to extend this project to include training for young people and a bike hire scheme.
Mrs Card said: ‘Concerns were raised about the type of work we were undertaking. ‘These proved to be unfounded and many staff blossomed and developed.
‘It has had a really positive affect on the people without disability and we have developed into a really strong team.’
KRL’s associates include Zero Waste Scotland, Community for Reuse and Recycling in Scotland, InspirAlba, Fyne Futures in Rothesay, Re-jig in Islay, The Grab Trust and the Third Sector Interface.
Ailsa Clark of Inspiralba has been instrumental in helping the organisation over the past six years by providing business support and project development which has been crucial for KRL.
Kintyre Recycling and Inspiralba are both currently involved with Zero Waste Heroes initiative which has a shop in Longrow and is promoting the reduction, recycling and reuse of materials. This also allows for volunteering opportunities.
The organisation has pioneered roadside collection and its reach covers every area of Kintyre. It is hoped that if Argyll and Bute moves to three week refuse collection that this will boost recycling rates as more people will use Kintyre Recycling’s service.
Mrs Card said: ‘We started kerbside collections at Davaar, Meadows and Ralston Road in 2000 and ran it for about two years before extending to the rest of Campbeltown in 2003.
‘We have about 40 to 45 per cent participation drawn from the 5,000 households in Kintyre including Carradale, Southend, the West Road and Tarbert.
Right from the start there was a contract for waste textiles with Nathans Wastesavers in Denny.
Mrs Card said that the area textiles are collected from has extended along the A83 to Arrochar and further north than Oban.
She added: ‘Textiles have always been a big part of the operation. We are now collecting about 10 tons a month.
‘Nathans, which handles 600 tons a week, exports to developing countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe.
‘We recycle some textiles ourselves and they are cut into industrial rag wipes.’
The registered charity and social enterprise runs three vehicles, two 7.5 tonne lorries and a Transit van. When deliveries are made of recyclates to Glasgow on the way back the empty vehicles are filled with recycling waste from the bring sites along the A83.
Current learning, supported by KRL, involves Peter Darling from Argyll Training who provides third party support for Joe Forshaw, 17, and Rachael Thomson, 17 on their SQA in Introduction to Work Based Skills.
The charity is constantly evolving and seeking new opportunities.
Mrs Card added: ‘We would also like to encourage people to fill out our membership form which can be found in the Courier .
‘There is no obligation or cost to this – it will show funders etc that we have the support of the local community in our aims and objectives.’
For further information on KRL and recycling call 01586-553858.