WASTE management company J & B Recycling is to expand its operations after clearing an unsightly rubbish tip next to its Hartlepool headquarters.
The award-winning firm is building a new materials recycling facility which will increase its capacity to accept and recycle thousands of tonnes of commercial and household packaging every year.
The facility will be built on land which was formerly a nine metre high dumping ground operated by the site’s former owner Easy Skips (NE) Ltd.
More than 36,000 cubic metres of waste had built up at the site before J & B Recycling won the contract to clear the tip and expand its own operations.
It is estimated the new facility will create as many as 25 new jobs at J & B Recycling.
Vikki Jackson Smith, Managing Director of J & B Recycling, said: “We are delighted to have now completely cleared this unsightly tip. It is a win-win situation for all as we have laid the foundations for our new facility to expand on our current business of recycling packaging and create jobs for local people.
“It means we can significantly increase our capacity for processing in a more efficient manner so we can become more competitive and attract more contracts to the area.”
The cleared tip was a dumping ground for household and industrial waste collected by Easy Skips over several years, which led to Easy Skips’ directors being prosecuted and ordered to clear the site by the Environment Agency.
At its highest, the 1.25 acre site – about the same size as a football pitch – and could be seen on Google Maps, contained all sorts of waste including soil, rubble, wood, plastics, paper, card and non-recyclable waste.
In its place, J & B Recycling is building a new purpose built facility which will manage commercial and domestic waste allowing more contracts to be tendered, not only allowing more commercial waste to be recycled from the North East but attracting contracts from within the UK for kerbside commingled to be sorted and recycled.
Vikki added: “As a waste management business, we need to set an example by driving forward efficiency in every aspect of our operations the investment into the extended site with the new building and infrastructure that we are currently developing will allow this to happen, maximising our assets and working to our full capacity.”
J & B Recycling, which has won Hartlepool Business of the Year twice and the environment category in the North East Business Awards, employs 175 staff. It recycles approximately 120,000 tonnes of waste each year from household, commercial, industrial and construction sources with customers including car parts manufacturer Nifco UK, Camerons Brewery and dozens of community buildings, pubs and restaurants.