Karen, appointed last November by Airedale Chemical, is the brainchild behind the firm's 'Zero to Landfill' campaign, given a major boost when the firm invested in a £3,700 baling machine which crushes down waste and packages it for easier collection and transportation by its recycling company.

"When carrying out my health and safety analysis across the site, I could see we had a few gaps in our recycling procedures. Card and polybags were being recycled, however everything else was being sent to a landfill so I researched alternative methods," said Karen.

Airedale Chemical has partnered with Bradford recycling firm BW Recycling Ltd to collect baled waste and take it for recycling. For every bale of waste, the company will receive a recycling rebate from BW Recycling.

"As well as helping the environment, recycling all of our waste also brings financial benefits to Airedale Chemical. Baling our waste means we can receive an increase of 40% rebate on one tonne of recycled waste as opposed to non-baled packaging. In less than a month, we have been able to recycle two tonnes of waste and I expect to recoup the cost of the baling machine within 10 months. With such a return on investment, we can continue growing our green initiative," Karen continued.

"The government is looking into legislations which require all companies to have zero waste so we're really proud that we're taking these crucial first steps at Airedale Chemical," she added.

To support the campaign, Karen has provided her colleagues with a Waste Management Policy to ensure everyone is aware of what is defined as waste and their individual and team roles to ensure its success.

"We expect the campaign to grow organically and will be looking at ways to recycle hard plastics and metals onsite. Waste water is already re-used in the effluent treatment plant so we're determined to continue working towards being a 'Zero to Landfill' company," concluded Karen.

Airedale Chemical, established in 1973 and based at Cross Hills near Keighley, is a manufacturer and distributor for the bulk chemical industry and specialises in industrial chemicals, surfactants, phosphates, phosphonates and dye stuffs. It mostly serves the food and drink, brewing, agriculture, dairy, water treatment, textiles, cleaning and engineering sectors. It can undertake a variety of blends on-site from one to 60 tonnes and operates its own chemical transportation fleet.

Airedale Chemical is developing its green initiatives in order to continue its work as an environmentally conscious chemical manufacturer.

LINKS
Airedale Chemical
BW Recycling Ltd