Straight plc - News

Autumn composting offers essential says Straight

Admin — 2009-09-23T15:13:32Z

Autumn composting
offers essential

Straight plc's home composting programme is proving to be a great success with 20% of English districts now already signed up or in the late stages of negotiation for the new campaigns.

The home composting initiative begins on 1st October 2009 and takes over from the successful WRAP programme. A key difference is the price for the goods, which are significantly improved from the latest WRAP offering. As the manufacturer of the core compost bins and accessories, Straight is able to offer the most efficient logistics and hence the best price.

Straight Chief Executive Jonathan Straight commented, "It is important that councils maintain a home composting capability through the autumn. Leaves will be falling off the trees leading to demand. Residents will naturally expect their local council to have an offer running."

"There is a lot of talk about a national framework campaign. We are supportive of this initiative but it will not start until 2010 at least. For this reason we are offering a seamless transition from WRAP for the remainder of 2009. Any council, who signs up for 2010 as well, will have prices fixed for the duration of the campaign. For those who want to wait and see, we can maintain a capability through the autumn."

Along with prices which are 20-30% lower than WRAP prices, Straight offers a "buy one get one half price" deal and a range of discounted accessories. Water butts are offered too which helps councils with their broader conservation initiatives.

"In terms of processing large volumes of orders we are ready," added Straight. "We dealt with more than 1.5m orders for WRAP and we can handle every council in the UK if we need to."

"Furthermore, we have invested heavily in our logistical capability over the past few years. Compost bins and water butts cannot be delivered either economically or in volume through traditional parcel couriers. We have developed a national network of specialist carriers controlled by intelligent routing software. This gives us the ability to tightly control all deliveries. Goods are always delivered within the stated timescale as anything not confirmed as delivered three days before its due date is rerouted out of our warehouse at our expense."

All customer addresses are collated and are presented to WRAP for ongoing support from the RecycleNow programme in the future.

For further information please contact Jenny Brayshaw or Val Newbould on 0113 245 2244.

Straight launches flagship system

Admin — 2009-09-15T08:07:59Z

Straight launches
flagship system

The new BagFlag™ is an innovative way for collection crews to correctly identify which properties require replacement liners for their kitchen caddies. BagFlag™ has been developed by Straight in conjunction with Neath Port Talbot Council for its new food waste scheme.

Neath will roll out Straight's 23 litre Kerbside Caddy and 5 litre Solid Kitchen Caddy this autumn to more than 10,000 homes on a trial scheme. The Council has chosen to use compostable liners with their Kitchen Caddies and approached Straight about developing a product that residents could use to indicate when they require more liners.

The Council's design brief was quite specific and strict deadlines were also set to ensure that the scheme was rolled out on time. The Council wanted to ensure that the system was extremely efficient and easy for both residents and collection crews to use. A small indicator attached to the Kerbside Caddy was considered the best option for this purpose to meet all of the Council's requirements.

The unique BagFlag™ fits onto the back handle of the 23 litre Kerbside Caddy providing a permanent and effective way for residents to request liners. BagFlag™ can either be fitted during the production of the Kerbside Caddy or fitted retrospectively and as the flag remains attached to the caddy at all times, it cannot be lost.

Manufactured from tough, flexible, bright yellow rubber, the durable BagFlag™ is fully waterproof making it ideal for outdoor use. Its bright colour means that the flag is also highly visible, even in dark conditions. When attached to the Kerbside Caddy, the BagFlag™ rotates 270 degrees, which enables the flag to be easily flipped up when new liners are needed and discreetly folded away under the handle and out of view when not in use.

Jack Baber, New Product Development Manager at Straight said, "Straight continues to heavily invest in new product development to bring innovative products to market. We work closely with many local authorities to identify their requirements, develop their ideas and make their product suggestions a reality."

Wayne Curtis, Waste Operations Officer for Neath Port Talbot Council said, "We listen to what matters to the residents of Neath Port Talbot and through our successful partnership with Straight, we believe that we have designed a simple, but very effective method of receiving replacement bags. It is important that the collection systems are, whilst effective, easy to use. After reviewing the first phase, the trial will expand over the forthcoming months."

Straight Newsletter 37

Admin — 2009-09-15T07:39:20Z

Straight Talking 37

Straight steels show
Chorley favours inner caddy
Elmbridge loves food hates waste
Composting continuity
Straight's flagship system
Telford cuts carbon footprint

Download Straight Talking 37 - (1.29mb)

May Gurney Source Separation Video

Admin — 2009-06-19T12:13:00Z

May Gurney Source
Separation Video

Waste is a precious raw material that should be treated as a resource rather than a problem to be disposed of - that's the message in a new film produced by May Gurney featuring Straight plc's kerbside boxes and food waste caddies in use in Somerset.

The short film shows how source separation and closed-loop recycling is revolutionising the way that waste is handled. The system has been shown to save local government money, significantly reduce carbon emissions, ensure that high prices for recyclable materials are achieved and to help generate local employment.

The documentary features testimonials from May Gurney's recycling customers, including Somerset Waste Partnership - currently the country's top recyclers with a 51% recycling rate - and members of the general public who are enthusiastic about May Gurney's collection schemes.

Nicola Peake, managing director of Environmental Services, comments; "Changing to weekly source separation collections of recycling is a positive step for local authorities and allows food waste collections on the same vehicle. There's a misconception that it's expensive and difficult to implement. With the focus on weekly resource recovery residual waste collection frequencies can be reduced without public resistance."

View May Gurney Source Separation Video

Straight Newsletter 36

Admin — 2009-06-10T12:05:24Z

Straight Talking 36

Epsom beats recycling rate with 23 litre kerbside caddy
Compost bin come back
Straight steel deal with Kirklees
Straight inner caddy boosts Newcastle's recycling rate
EcoSort ™ sets standard in Camden
Northampton launches glass collection

Download Straight Talking 36 - (1.13mb)

Straight Newsletter Special Edition Spring 2009

Admin — 2009-06-10T11:54:50Z

Straight Newsletter
Special Edition
Spring 2009

Argyll & Bute on target for 40% recycling rate
Aberdeenshire targets food waste
Falkirk chooses Steelybin ® as trade wate solution
Edinburgh's kerbside recycling scheme

Download Straight Newsletter Special Edition Spring 2009 - (633kb)

Straight builds on home composting campaign success

Admin — 2009-05-05T15:59:25Z

Compost Bin
Come Back

Straight plc, the UK's largest supplier of home composters and water butts, has seen continued success since the re-launch of its home composting programme in February. Subsequent to WRAP's decision to remove subsidies for composting bins, several local authorities have returned to Straight and signed up to its new composting scheme.

Following WRAP's announcement, many local authorities voiced their concerns over how they would continue to promote home composting. Straight has not only enabled councils to continue with their composting campaigns by providing a similar scheme, but has also offered more competitive pricing. Overall, a seamless transition from the WRAP scheme is available with customers registered on the Recycle Now programme for home composting support. Torbay, Warwickshire, Sheffield, North Tyneside and Somerset are just a few of the councils that have taken advantage of the new deals on offer to date.

Straight's new home composting schemes can be tailor made to suit customer needs and offers residents the opportunity to buy compost bins at a fraction of the retail price. Councils are offered a full programme including multi-channel ordering, tracked delivery, dedicated retail websites and reporting and sales figures. Straight's in-house marketing team is also on hand to provide guidance on promoting the schemes.

Glenn Fleet, Sustainability Group Manager for Warwickshire Waste Partnership said, "We have been grateful for WRAP's support over the past few years and feel we have achieved a lot with their help. However, funding is now coming to an end and we are still keen for our home composting scheme to continue. We want to offer our residents the best possible value and so have chosen Straight as our new partner. Straight has shown that they can still provide a seamless service of home delivery, at a very cost-effective and competitive price."

Straight, and its subsidiary Blackwall is ideally placed to support councils wanting to continue to promote home composting. With over 20 years unrivalled experience working with local authorities, Straight has delivered more than three million compost bins through its home composting programme.

Straight has a range of competitive home composting campaigns to encourage householders to compost their kitchen and garden waste. Home delivery campaigns are a popular choice for many local authorities, with prices starting from as little as £16.50 per unit for a 220 litre Compost Converter. Other ways that Councils can promote home composting include one day sales and garden centre schemes.

Torbay Council held its first one day sale in April, which proved to be extremely successful. Over a thousand composters and water butts were sold in just 5 hours. Due to the vast turn out, the Council has already asked Straight to organise a second day sale, which is scheduled for June.

Carol Arthur, Recycling Officer for Torbay Council commented, "Straight's home composting packages are competitively priced and offer residents complete value for money. We approached Straight about holding a day sale because we believed that it would be an effective method of encouraging more residents to reduce the amount of waste that they send to landfill.

Carol Arthur continues, "From beginning to end, Straight organised everything with military precision and the day sale itself was handled with absolute professionalism. We are so impressed by the way that the day sale has been received, that we have planned a second day sale in June. We fully expect the second day sale to be just as successful, if not more so."

Straight offers councils composting continuity

Admin — 2009-02-13T10:42:37Z

WRAP

Councils in England affected by WRAP's decision to stop supplying home compost bins at the end of September will be able to continue to promote home composting through a broad programme offered by market-leading home compost bin manufacturer Straight plc.

Straight offers a home delivery programme, which the initial WRAP campaign was modelled on, as well as running one day sale events and partnerships with garden centres.

Straight, and its subsidiary Blackwall, have supplied more than half of the bins used in the WRAP campaign since it started in 2003. Furthermore, from 2005 until the beginning of this year Straight also provided order processing facilities including call centre and customer care services. Straight is therefore well placed to offer a virtually identical programme itself.

"We are ready to work with any council requiring the continuation of their programme. Our pricing offers an improvement on WRAP's 2009 rates and our service levels are the same or better. We have also invested heavily in an IT solution to track deliveries ensuring that they are on time", explained Jonathan Straight, chief executive of Straight plc.

"It is true that WRAP effectively doubled the UK market for compost bins. However, in 2008 overall sales fell by almost half as a result of the sales price being doubled up by WRAP. We feel that this is the right time for them to move away from supplying the bins and to leave this activity to those of us in the market who can now offer customers the best value."

Prior to 2003, Straight and Blackwall ran campaigns with almost every council in the UK. These have gradually been taken over by WRAP, but using products and support services provided by Straight. This positions Straight to be able to offer a comparable programme with immediate effect and requiring no input from local authority personnel.

"We take care of everything", added Straight. "Any councils wanting to run for the whole year are of course free to take up our campaign offer from 1st April if they prefer."

And on success achieved by WRAP, Straight is complimentary. "They have helped to double the number of households composting up to 40%. However, as 82% of houses have gardens this leaves a lot of potential. We hope to continue with this good work in the future."

Straight snaps up Harcostar

Admin — 2009-02-04T10:27:39Z

Harcostar ®

Straight plc, the recycling products and services group, has strengthened its position in the garden products sector through the acquisition of the assets and trade of Harcostar ® Garden Products.

Harcostar ® is a long established premium brand consisting of water butts, compost bins, watering cans and accessories. These are supplied to the trade sector in both the UK and Europe. The acquisition reinforces Straight's position as the key player in the marketplace and provides strong links to independent garden centres.

Going forward, Straight intends to retain the Harcostar ® brand and will invest in both the brand and the product range. Straight's existing BeGreen ® garden product range will also be retained.

Under the terms of the sale, Harcostar's Business Development Manager, Chris Ascott, will transfer to Straight plc and manage the future development of the range. New warehousing will be established and manufacture will be moved from its current location in Disley, Cheshire to a more modern, well equipped facility in the North East.

Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc said, "We are delighted to have completed this acquisition as we have admired the Harcostar ® brand for a number of years. Being the choice of the professional gardener, it gives us a premium sales channel for all of our garden products. We are also encouraged by the export potential that Harcostar brings. It is our intention to enhance the Harcostar offering with variations on products from our core range, as well as to develop the brand and range further in the future."

Straight Newsletter 35

Admin — 2009-01-28T15:52:28Z

Straight Talking 35

Three bin scheme for Chester
EcoSort ™ recycling system
Caddy success for Oldham MBC
Barnet boosts recycling
Lancashire's greener future
Water saving success
Inner caddies for North Tyneside
Blaenau Gwent's high hopes for food waste success

Download Straight Talking 35 - (1.08mb)

Aberdeenshire Council Targets Food Waste

Admin — 2009-01-16T09:14:36Z

Aberdeenshire
Council

With the Scottish Government proclaiming its intention to become a zero waste society by 2025, many Scottish authorities are facing their biggest challenge to date and are exploring new ways to divert more waste away from landfill.

2008 saw Aberdeenshire Council expand its recycling services and become one of the first Scottish authorities to introduce a food waste collection scheme. Aberdeenshire was also the first local authority to use Straight's 23 litre Kerbside Caddy, which has been specifically developed for the collection of food waste and has since become the leading container used for this purpose across the UK.

Download Aberdeenshire Council Case Study - (361Kb)

Monmouthshire Community Recycling Zero Waste Village Project

Admin — 2009-01-15T10:07:55Z

Monmouthshire
Community Recycling

Monmouthshire Community Recycling (MCR) is a community-based, not for profit recycling company that works on behalf of Monmouthshire County Council to run recycling services. Established in 2003, MCR's services have rapidly grown and the group now operates a weekly box scheme using Straight's 55 litre Ergo Kerbside Box to collect dry recyclables from over 28,000 households.

Download Monmouthshire Community Recycling Case Study - (239Kb)

Straight Food Waste Caddy for Sefton

Admin — 2008-12-02T11:18:15Z

Sefton

Following the success of its food waste collection scheme, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council has chosen Straight's market-leading 23 litre Kerbside Caddy as its container of choice. The Council recently purchased more than 5,000 of the 23 litre Kerbside Caddy along with the Straight 5 litre Kitchen Caddy to replace some existing containers and to further develop the scheme.

Clare Melser, Recycling Contract Monitoring Officer for Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council said, "The Kerbside Caddy is a robust product and has good manual handling features for the collection crews. Our crews find the container to be strong and easy to handle and empty, making collections much easier. The fact that the product is manufactured in the UK is also a bonus as it reduces both the environmental impact of the product and freight costs associated with delivery."

The weekly food waste collection was originally launched in June 2007 to coincide with the introduction of alternate weekly collections for residual waste. Although the food waste scheme is optional it has been extremely well received by residents with Sefton currently collecting approximately 150 tonnes of food waste each month. Collected food waste is taken to an in vessel composting plant near Preston where it is treated and then marketed for agricultural and horticultural uses.

The Council says that the new service has made a substantial difference to participation and recycling rates. Clare Melser continues, "Food waste makes up a large percentage of all waste, which makes it a priority material for Sefton to remove from the residual waste stream. Prior to the change in service, Sefton had a recycling rate of 24%. This rapidly rose to 30% within the first six months of the new alternating weekly system being implemented. At the half year 2008/09 Sefton was recycling 39.5% of all waste produced. These figures alone demonstrate the value of this type of scheme and shows that food waste collections can make a significant contribution to the acceptance of alternate weekly collection systems and recycling rates."

To date, over 25,000 households have opted to participate in the food waste collection scheme. The Council works closely with WRAP to continuously promote its wide range of recycling services and communicate the benefits of the food waste collection through the use of a variety of marketing tools, including a bi-annual resident newsletter. The scheme is open to all 123,000 households in the borough, which means that there is scope to further expand the scheme in the future.

Babergh Boosts Council Recycling Rate

Admin — 2008-11-18T11:13:13Z

Babergh

Babergh District Council has expanded its office recycling system with the purchase of over a hundred of Straight's 60 litre Slim Jim containers and colour coded lids in a bid to boost the Council's recycling rate.

The Council is using the new containers in the council offices to collect paper, plastic bottles, cans, card, brown envelopes and general waste. Since installing the Slim Jim containers the Council has increased its recycling rate by more than 25%. Babergh previously recycled just 50% of all office waste. However, the Council now recycles between 75% and 80% of all waste produced.

The Council believes that it is important to set a good example by "practising what they preach" and recycling their waste. The office recycling scheme is part of the Council's drive to create a more sustainable workplace.The scheme has also enabled the Council to promote other sustainability issues such as energy and water efficiency.

Jonas Grist, Waste Strategy Officer for Babergh District Council said, "Although we did have an office recycling system previously, the introduction of the Slim Jims and interchangeable colour coded lids with material stream labelling has made office recycling much easier, more convenient and hence even more effective."

Jonas continues, "Slim Jims offer excellent value for money and are an economical method of source separating collected waste successfully. With their ultra sleek design, each Slim Jim has a narrow footprint, which means that they are extremely space efficient. The containers also do not require the use of liners, so the collected contents can be easily emptied directly into a 'slave' bin/bag, thus saving costs and resources."

Free Composters for Hillingdon

Admin — 2008-11-03T11:05:38Z

Hillingdon

Hillingdon Council has chosen to make free composters available to further divert waste away from landfill. Straight's 220 litre Compost Converter, made from recycled plastic bottles, will be available to all residents in the borough completely free of charge.

The home composting scheme is open to all households and was originally launched in August this year. So far, the scheme has proven to be extremely successful with over 4,000 home composters delivered to residents in just two months.

Hillingdon has already exceeded the government's recycling target for 2006/7 of 34% and is now working hard towards achieving 40% by 2010. The council hopes that the scheme will contribute towards reaching this target and help to reduce landfill costs by providing an easy and effective method for householders to recycle even more of their green waste.

Kathy Sparks, Deputy Director for Environment, said: "The scheme has been well received and feedback from residents has been very positive. Composting is really easy and I hope everyone takes advantage of the scheme. By recycling and composting more, we can all help to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill."

Due to its success, the council is already exploring the possibility of extending the scheme to cover schools and allotment holders.

The Compost Converter is the UK's best selling composter, with more than three million sales to date. Strong and rigid in construction, the Compost Converter needs no assembly and is simple to use. An extra wide hatch allows easy access to the finished compost or alternatively, the Converter can be easily lifted off the compost heap. Each Compost Converter is guaranteed for 10 years.

Straight Newsletter 34

Admin — 2008-09-26T15:14:59Z

Straight Talking 34

Home composting pays off
EcoSort ™ improves Durham University's sustainability
Tower Hamlets cleans up with the 23 litre Kerbside Caddy
Straight Awarded YPO Framework Agreement
50% recycling rate for Wakefield
Steelybin ® used in Somerset
Essex is on target with the Kitchen Composter
Straight cuts its carbon footprint

Download Straight Talking 34 - (1.64mb)

Hospitals Step-On Clinical Waste

Admin — 2008-06-27T10:19:06Z

Clinical Waste

In recent years, Straight has been building its range of products to assist many business sectors with their waste and recycling requirements. In the last two years, Straight has supplied almost 1,000 Step-On Containers to the largest NHS Trust in the UK, the Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The containers are used on wards to dispose of clinical waste at the six different hospitals around the city.

Step-On Containers are ideal for hands-free waste disposal and each container has a tight-fitting, overlapping lid to contain odours. The containers are available in a variety of sizes from 30 to 87 litres and a range of colours. Straight's Step-On Containers can also be customised to suit individual requirements.

Rigid liners are also available and each container features a quiet heavy-duty pedal for easy opening and closing. Made from tough, puncture resistant plastic they feature rounded corners and smooth contours for easy cleaning.

Libby Moss, Environment Officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals said, "The Step-On Containers are Trust approved for use in a hospital environment. There are many benefits of these containers; they are easy to clean, quiet when being operated and the foot pedal ensures cleanliness. This beats anything the Trust was previously using".

Sky high paper recycling

Admin — 2008-06-26T15:53:41Z

Deskside Container

Many businesses across the UK are encouraging employees to recycle waste by introducing collection systems that take a variety of recyclable materials. Paper and cardboard accounts for 60% of waste produced from business offices across the UK, most of which can easily be recycled.

The Civil Aviation Authority, the UK's independent aviation regulator, has provided its employees with Deskside Containers to collect and recycle paper and cardboard and hence reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill. Over a thousand 27 litre containers have been supplied to them by Straight in a bid to encourage workplace recycling. The bins are made in cobalt blue, from a durable LDPE plastic, giving them a soft feel and making the bins virtually unbreakable.

Liz Bentley, Support Services Manager at the Civil Aviation Authority said "We now recycle on average between 11 and 13 tonnes of paper along with 1 tonne of cardboard each month, which is a great achievement. We also have a number of communal bins for general refuse, most of which is incinerated for energy meaning we send very little to landfill".

The bins are emptied and collected on a daily basis to achieve this level of recycling. Straight is able to supply a number of different systems to help with office recycling; including communal recycling containers for glass, cans and plastics such as the established Slim Jim range. Other options are designed for the safe removal of confidential documents as well as solutions for outdoor recycling systems.

Food waste, the next step

Admin — 2008-06-10T13:13:26Z

Kerbside Caddies

In a bid to increase their recycling rates, Oldham Council is further expanding its food waste collection trial. Following a successful pilot scheme, the Council is set to rollout more than 80,000 of Straight's 23 litre Kerbside Caddies.

The Council will initially roll out 20,000 of the containers in August 2008. A further 20,000 Kerbside Caddies will be delivered in three separate phases over the course of 12 months.

The 23 litre Kerbside Caddy has been purposely designed for food waste collections and has the added benefit of being manufactured in the UK, therefore dramatically reducing the environmental impact of the product as well as the cost of freight. Mark Husdan, Waste Minimisation and Recycling Manager for Oldham Council comments, "The 23 litre Kerbside Caddy is a product that matches our commitment to provide quality recycling facilities to our residents. The fact that the product is manufactured in Burnley, less than 30 miles from Oldham, was a key factor and provided a great incentive in our product choice by reducing the product's carbon footprint."

The 23 litre Kerbside Caddy incorporates several features as standard, including a reinforced hinged locking lid to ensure spillage is avoided and a tough one-piece carry handle enabling easy lifting. The Caddy's textured and sloped base provides a practical tipping handle for collection crews when emptying and the smooth, wipe clean interior prevents any dirt traps.

The new scheme is the first borough wide food waste collection to be introduced in Greater Manchester. Oldham Council hopes that the new scheme will encourage resident participation, increase recycling rates and help to reduce landfill charges. Oldham currently recycles 20% of all waste collected. However, the Council anticipates an increase once the food waste collection is rolled out.

Mark Husdan continues, "The expansion of the pilot scheme to the rest of the borough is crucial in order to improve recycling rates in the area. Participation rates for the trial were high at 65% and general feedback from residents has been extremely positive. We are confident that once the scheme is fully implemented, we will see a good increase in our recycling rate, helping us to meet our recycling target of 30% for 2010."

With UK households wasting 6.7 million tonnes of food each year and food waste accounting for over 30% of the average household bin, Oldham believes that targeting food waste is definitely the next step for other local authorities.

Mark Husdan adds, "Food waste recycling has an important role to play in helping Britain meet its international obligations. Our food waste scheme is one of the most important collections that we provide next to our garden waste collection. Once collected, all food waste is sent for composting, a simple and natural process. The end result is a useful and organic bi-product."

New Kitchen Caddy Range

Admin — 2008-06-10T13:10:35Z

Kitchen Caddy Range

This year sees Straight return to the CIWM exhibition with a new range of innovative organic waste containers. Straight has further extended its portfolio of food waste containers with the addition of 7 litre and 10 litre Kitchen Caddies in both solid and ventilated versions. Straight now offers a complete range of sizes from 5 litres upwards.

With food waste making up 30% of the average household bin, food waste collection is one topic that is rapidly rising to the top of the environmental agenda. Many local authorities are already piloting food waste schemes to further divert biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) away from landfill and to increase their recycling rates.

The new Kitchen Caddies have the added benefit of being manufactured in the UK. With other containers coming in from overseas, this reduces the cost of freight as well as the carbon emissions associated with delivery.

Designed specifically for the collection of food waste, the caddies are the perfect partner for Straight's 23 litre Kerbside Caddy. The new products incorporate a range of features as standard, including a locking lid to ensure spillage is avoided and a liner trap to secure compostable liners. Available in a variety of colours, the containers can be fully customised with graphics and print to meet individual requirements.

Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc said, "Our customers deserve the widest range and best choice in food waste containers and our new range of caddies offer the ultimate solution for food waste collections."

"We have championed food waste collections for several years and we still believe that they are one of the best ways to further increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. With recycling targets continually increasing, many local authorities realise that they are going to have to collect additional materials to meet them. Food waste collection is the next step and numerous authorities are starting to see the benefits of tackling this element of the waste stream."

20 litre Inner Caddy debuts in Newcastle

Admin — 2008-06-10T13:05:57Z

20 litre Inner Caddy

Newcastle City Council will be the first local authority to rollout Straight's new 20 litre Wheeled Bin Inner Caddy. The 20 litre Inner Caddy will be used with 140 litre blue wheeled bins, also supplied by Straight, to collect dry recyclables.

The black-coloured Inner Caddy will be rolled out to more than 10,000 households across the city in November 2009 and will be used to collect glass and batteries. Residents will use the main compartment of the 140 litre wheeled bin to collect plastic bottles, cans, telephone directories, textiles, newspaper, magazines and paper.

Straight developed the new smaller style Inner Caddy in partnership with Newcastle City Council specifically to increase the source separation of recyclable materials. Following consultation with residents, Newcastle City Council identified a need for a specialist container for households using smaller 140 litre wheeled bins to collect recyclables.

Like the existing 40 and 55 litre versions of the product, the 20 litre Inner Caddy enables the collection of several materials by transforming a 140 litre wheeled bin into a multi-compartment recycling system. The Caddy's tough carry handle offers improved handling enabling the container to be easily lifted from the wheeled bin and the hinged lid ensures spillage is avoided. The new Caddy is available in a variety of colours and is fully customisable to individual requirements.

The Council is also currently rolling out over 90,000 of Straight's 240 litre blue wheeled bins each complete with a black 40 litre Inner Caddy for the collection of dry recyclables. This new fortnightly collection forms the basis of the re-launch of improved recycling services and is part of the Council's drive to create a cleaner, greener city. Newcastle currently recycles 33% of all waste. However, the Council is confident that the rollout of the new containers will mean that there will be a considerable increase in recycling rates to meet its targets of 43% by 2010 and 55% by 2020. Les Clark, Head of Sustainability at Newcastle City Council said, "We are currently in the process of modifying recycling services across the city. Although most homes will use a 240 litre wheeled bin and a 40 litre Inner Caddy for recycling, there is a small minority of households, approximately 10%, that will use a 140 litre wheeled bin and require a smaller insert."

Les Clark continues, "These homes tend to be single person households or areas where space may be limited. Straight's new 20 litre Inner Caddy is the ideal solution for residents using the 140 litre wheeled bin. It means that we are able to offer the same comprehensive recycling scheme to residents using the smaller bin."

Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc commented, "The new 20 litre Inner Caddy is another example of Straight working together with a local authority to develop a product solution catered to their specific needs. We heavily invest in new product development to continue to bring innovative and exciting new products to market."

Straight Newsletter 33

Admin — 2008-06-09T16:04:50Z

Straight Talking 33

New Kitchen Caddy Range
Steelybin ® helps Brent step up recycling
Nottingham expands recycling services
Box clever
Food waste in Leicestershire
Newcastle, a cleaner, greener city
EcoSort ™ launch

Download Straight Talking 33 - (457Kb)

EcoSort Launch

Admin — 2008-05-27T12:16:59Z

EcoSort ™

Straight plc will be launching its new brand, EcoSort ™ at this year's CIWM. EcoSort ™ complements Straight's wide range of workplace recycling products and strengthens the company's position as the UK's leading supplier of recycling container solutions.

The new EcoSort ™ Lid is the first product in the range to be developed and has been specifically designed to offer customers a unique and fully flexible recycling system, in line with WRAP colour guidelines.

Manufactured in the UK, the EcoSort ™ lid is competitively priced and is fully compatible with existing Slim Jim containers. Three lid types are available; paper recycling aperture, bottle/can recycling aperture and a trade/general waste lid. The lids are available with WRAP iconography and labelling and can also be customised to individual requirements.

Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive at Straight plc, comments, "New legislation for disposal of trade waste has meant that there is an increased need for the source separation of recyclable materials in the workplace. EcoSort ™ products are aimed at successfully reducing a workplace's carbon footprint by offering them a simple and cost effective method of doing so."

Wastesavers Recycling - Thinking outside the box

Admin — 2008-05-19T12:18:46Z

Wastesavers Recycling

As one of the first cities in Wales to introduce a kerbside recycling scheme, Newport has always been forward thinking when it comes to recycling. Working in partnership with Newport City Council, Wastesavers Recycling has been instrumental in developing the City's successful kerbside collection, which contributed towards Newport being awarded the title of the UK's Greenest City in 2007.

Wastesavers Recycling is a long-standing customer of Straight having taken delivery of more than 130,000 Ergo Kerbside Boxes. Newport's twin-box scheme has grown from a fortnightly service for 10,000 households to a weekly service for 53,000 households. Now in its tenth year, the scheme has also been rolled out to encompass residents living in rural areas and multi-occupancy accommodation.

Last year, Newport exceeded its recycling target with an overall recycling rate of 35%. Unlike some local authorities who have adapted their recycling schemes to use larger containers, Wastesavers have opted to base their scheme on Straight's 55 litre Ergo Kerbside Box as they believe that boxes are the most efficient method of maximising source separation opportunities. Using kerbside boxes enables the group to keep collection costs to a minimum. According to the Welsh Assembly Government, Wastesavers have the lowest cost recycling scheme in Wales.

A blue 55 litre Ergo Kerbside Box is used to collect paper, magazines, directories, junk mail, textiles, shoes, toner cartridges and old mobile phones and a green 55 litre box is used to collect plastic bottles, cans, tins, glass bottles and jars. Newport's high recycling rate demonstrates that the kerbside box is one of the best options for a kerbside collection and the easiest way to collect recyclables.

Paul Jones, Wastesavers Recycling Chief Executive says, "Manual handling dictates the size of the boxes we use and they have sufficient capacity to hold an average household's recyclables. The use of a box is advantageous over a wheeled bin because boxes enable us to sort materials at kerbside ensuring high quality material. The smaller capacity combined with Newport's alternate weekly collection for general waste also encourages residents to reduce their waste at source."

Last year Newport surpassed its landfill allowance target by 27%, with a kerbside diversion rate of 200kg per household per annum, making Newport one of the best performing local authorities in the UK. 2008 has seen them exceed this figure with a kerbside diversion rate of 220 kg per household per annum. Participation has greatly increased across the city due to the addition of plastics recycling and the introduction of an alternate weekly collection. The group has also just rolled out a food waste collection trial in a bid to increase its recycling rates further and hopes to retain its title of the UK's Greenest City for 2008.

Straight plc Wins Welsh Tenders

Admin — 2008-04-01T10:39:40Z

Welsh Tender

Straight plc has won tenders to supply seven local authorities in Wales with food and kitchen waste collection equipment worth approximately £1.42m.

The equipment consists of five different designs of waste collection container aimed at meeting each local authority's exact requirements. The containers include Straight's Kerbside Caddy which has been purposely designed for food waste collection and is manufactured in the UK from recycled plastic.

The tender wins follow the Welsh Assembly's announcement in October 2007, that it is providing £14m in grants to local authorities to boost recycling across Wales over the next two years.

Commenting on the news, Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc, said: "The award of these tenders demonstrates our ability to help local authorities implement their recycling and composting plans and highlights the variety, quality and innovative designs of our products."

The seven local authorities are Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, Carmarthenshire County Council, Swansea County Council, Gwynedd Council, Powys County Council and Monmouthshire County Council.

Straight Newsletter 32

Admin — 2008-01-15T11:07:18Z

Straight Talking 32

New Year - New Move
Straight Joins Corrie
Straight Inner Caddy Sorts It
Straight Insight
5 litre Kitchen Caddy Helps Greenwich Exceed Targets
Straight Kerbside Caddy for Aberdeenshire
Straight Awarded ISO Status

Download Straight Talking 32 - (489Kb)

Straight Awarded ISO Accreditation

Admin — 2008-01-14T10:59:58Z

ISO Accreditation

Straight plc has recently been accredited with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications. Both the quality assurance and environmental management standards were achieved ahead of the target deadline.

ISO certifications are internationally recognised standards which demonstrate that a company is working to best trading practices. ISO 9001 is a recognised assessment of an organisations' customer service practice, whilst ISO 14001 is awarded when a company can show that they are using the most appropriate environmental management systems.

Following a rigorous evaluation of the company, assessing business practices, operational processes, working standards and environmental policies, Straight has been awarded both certifications. The ISO certifications are a natural progression for the company demonstrating that the company has streamlined procedures to provide a more efficient operation ensuring customers receive the best possible service.

ISO 9001 has enabled the company to concentrate on developing four key areas within the business, sales and operations planning, new product development, logistics and inventory management and account and supplier management which will help the company to improve systematic processes and become even more customer focused.

Mark Halford, Operations Director at Straight said, "Our business model is essentially a combination of strong customer focus, sales and marketing excellence and vibrant new product development programmes linked to an outsourced operational model. Our ISO implementation programme has sought to substantially improve these processes individually, particularly in operations, but critically to link them together more closely."

Halford added, "Customer satisfaction is the key ISO 9001 objective and the principal task for Straight in implementing it has been to address the operational implications of its strong marketing focus and how we bring new products to market. We also need to ensure that we are selecting and developing relationships with appropriate outsource partners to improve logistical performance throughout the supply chain."

As a company that supplies green products, Straight is keen to measure and reduce its own environmental impact as thoroughly as possible. ISO 14001 demonstrates that Straight has also mitigated its environmental risks by re-assessing their waste discharge and pollution output levels and using ISO approved suppliers.

Straight Chief Executive, Jonathan Straight explained, "As a market leader within the waste and recycling industry, it is important for us to demonstrate that we are environmentally aware and that we are fully committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the environment.

Our core business is recycling and although we have always recycled items such as paper and card, we knew that we could do much more to create a more environmentally friendly business. ISO 14001 has helped us to take everything into consideration from product development, delivery to customers to using the appropriate suppliers in order to create a greener workplace. In addition to this we also wish to demonstrate our dedication to excellent customer services. ISO 9001 proves our unfaltering commitment to our customers."

New Year - New Move

Admin — 2007-12-04T10:45:10Z

New Office

2008 marks a new beginning for Straight as we move into our new state-of-the-art riverside premises. The new office building designed by Carey Jones Architects offers 127,000 sq ft of quality waterside space and sits directly on the banks of the River Aire in Leeds city centre.

Straight's new office building is part of a billion pound regeneration project that will see the development of a culmination of prestigious new offices, luxury apartments, leisure facilities, retail outlets and restaurants being built in the West End of the city. The West End Leeds project is part of the Marketing Leeds campaign and is part of Leeds' vision to be an "internationally competitive city at the heart of a prosperous region"

The building itself has a striking glass frontage and is surrounded by a landscaped courtyard. It has been built using a high quality curtain wall system which provides large efficiencies in terms of solar control and thermal insulation. The two-minute walk from Leeds train station to the new office means most employees can travel to work by train, therefore reducing the company's carbon footprint. Straight has also taken steps towards creating a more sustainable workplace by sourcing recycled products and furniture and low energy lighting for the new office.

The move to larger premises will bring both the operational and commercial functions together in order to offer customers an even more efficient and improved service. Straight's rapid expansion has seen the company outgrow its previous premises and the new move reflects the company's progression and allows space for future growth.

18,000 Students and One Reduced Footprint

Admin — 2007-12-03T10:44:32Z

Newcastle University

New pre-treatment regulations for the disposal of waste under the EU Landfill Directive means there will be an increase in recyclable materials being source separated before collection. Many organisations have had to adapt the way that they dispose of their waste by introducing recycling amenities or expanding their current facilities to ensure that an element of their waste is pre-sorted.

Straight recently supplied Newcastle University with more than 200 Recycling Modules and Colour Coded Bins for use around the campus. Although the University's paper and card recycling rate is already good at 27%, the University realised that they could further reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill if they recycled more and composted their food waste. Newcastle University is currently developing its own Sustainability Strategy and wanted to encourage both employees of the University and its 18,000 students to use the recycling facilities on offer.

To help staff to support their Sustainability Strategy, the University placed the Recycling Modules in staff kitchen areas. These areas have limited space, so the Recycling Modules offered the perfect solution by providing a vertical recycling system with a small footprint. The modules take up little more space than a household bin, yet allow colour-coded source separation of materials. The University is collecting plastic bottles, food and drink cans, mixed glass and food waste in the modules which offer proven health and safety benefits and are easy to empty and clean. Newcastle University is currently in the process of purchasing an in-vessel composter which will enable all food waste to be composted on site.

The University has placed its 60 litre Colour Coded Bins in the communal areas of the site allowing both staff and students to deposit paper, card, newspapers, bottles and cans. Following the installation of the Recycling Modules and Colour Coded Bins, recycling participation rates have increased and they now have very few contamination issues as all collected recyclables are source separated meaning the quality of collected materials has dramatically improved.

Sarah Boulger, Waste Manager for Newcastle University said "We are extremely pleased with our Recycling Modules and Colour Coded Bins and have already placed a further order. Sustainability at the University has increased in importance and recycling is one way of showing our commitment. We hope that by raising awareness of these issues and making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of waste that we send to landfill, a more environmentally friendly thinking will ensue."

Kitchen Composter and Doncaster MBC

Admin — 2007-11-06T12:21:05Z

Doncaster MBC

Greener gardens and less waste for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council with the Straight Kitchen Composter

Download Doncaster MBC Case Study - (871Kb)

Inner Caddy and City of Bradford MDC

Admin — 2007-10-11T12:03:55Z

Bradford MDC

Bradford Metropolitan District Council further expands its recycling initiatives by adding the Inner Caddy to their growing list of recycling services

Download Bradford MDC Case Study - (258Kb)

New Straight Bin Set to Steel the Show

Admin — 2007-09-11T10:21:00Z

Steelybin ®

Following an extensive development period, Straight has entered into the steel bin market with force with the launch of the Steelybin ® at this year's RWM. The 1100 litre Steelybin ® is Straight's first foray into metal waste and recycling containers. Straight has already announced plans to further expand the Steelybin ® brand by developing a full range of sizes over the coming months.

Over the last two years Straight has worked closely with local authorities, contractors and customers to develop a suitable solution for a metal waste container, which meets all of their needs. With legislation for the disposal of trade waste continuing to change, the Steelybin ® has been designed to achieve the highest possible standards meeting the market's future needs for source separation.

Combining high-quality with reasonable cost, the Steelybin ® incorporates a range of features as standard including Danish type handles to improve manoeuvrability in the safest way. A sump base also aids stability when the container is moved and a drain plug enables the discharge of any liquid.

The Steelybin ® conforms to EN840 and is tested in line with noise level regulations. Tough and reliable, the Steelybin ® offers the customer complete flexibility. Its comb lifting edge is compatible with all standard equipment. With internal fully welded seams to ensure longevity, the Steelybin ® is made from galvanised steel and comes with the option of powder coating. Available in a range of colours, the new steel bin can be used for the collection of both residual waste and recyclable materials.

The 1100 litre version can be customised to order with short run vinyl graphics or logos stamped into the body. There are two lid options: a recycling lid with apertures for bottles, cans and paper or a standard lid for general refuse. All lids are equipped with a lock as standard and at no extra charge. The Steelybin ® also features a chip nest area allowing a standard RFID chip to be used to monitor the use of the bin.

Straight believes that the new container is set to revolutionise the marketplace by offering customers a product with a quality level beyond the market standard, but at an affordable price. Jonathan Straight, CEO of Straight plc said, "We have vast experience in all sectors of the waste and recycling industry, however steel bins is a new area for Straight. We wanted to create a new affordable steel wheeled bin that would surpass current models on the market."

Straight continues, "We liaised closely with our customers to ensure that we could give them exactly what they wanted without any hidden extra costs. The Steelybin ® meets the needs of a changing market and offers customers' unrivalled quality in terms of design, features and finish."

New Kerbside Caddy Helps Kitchen Waste Collections

Admin — 2007-09-11T09:35:16Z

Kerbside Caddy

Straight has further extended its food waste range of containers with the addition of a new 22 litre Kerbside Caddy which follows hot on the heels of the successful 5 litre Kitchen Caddy.

With alternate weekly collections (AWC's) being phased in around the country, more local authorities are exploring the possibility of adding food waste collections to their services. The new caddy has been specifically developed to enable the efficient collection of food waste and to help local authorities to meet their recycling targets. This type of collection has already proved successful in a number of areas and some local authorities have been running food waste collections for several years.

Previously, there has been limited choice in terms of products for customers wanting to introduce food waste collections. The Kerbside Caddy is the first container of this type to be manufactured in the UK and presents customers with a high-quality product at a competitive price.

Available in a choice of colours, the large surface areas allow the caddy to be customised to individual requirements. Each caddy also includes provision for a chip nest to house an RFID tag allowing tracking. With its many dynamic features and tough, durable shape, the Kerbside Caddy is an exceptional product and is the ultimate solution for the collection of food waste.

The cleverly designed handles ensure ease of lifting and the reinforced, hinged locking lid system ensures the collected materials are protected from the elements and any spillage is avoided. The Kerbside Caddy's distinctive sloped base provides a useful tipping handle for collection crews when emptying, assisting hygienic collection. With its totally smooth, wipe-clean interior, it offers customers a practical solution to recycle all of their food waste.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that 6.7 million tonnes of kitchen waste is thrown away each year, which equates to nearly a fifth (19%) of the contents of the average household bin. Weekly food waste collections, as recommended by WRAP to accompany AWC's, would have a major impact on recycling rates and would dramatically reduce the overall amount of waste being sent to landfill.

Jack Baber, Product Manager at Straight commented, "The Government recently announced recycling targets of 40% for 2010, which will mean major changes for consumers and the way that they dispose of their waste. Local authorities will need to work hard to achieve these figures and look at new ways of reducing the amount of waste that they send to landfill. Food waste collections make an ideal contribution and our new 22 litre Kerbside Caddy offers customers a simple, but effective method of introducing this type of collection."

Baber adds, "We worked closely with several of our customers throughout the development of the product and took into account all of their requirements. We wanted to design a product which supersedes current market models and by manufacturing it in the UK we can ensure that our customers and Straight's high standards are consistently met."

Straight Newsletter 31

Admin — 2007-09-04T14:14:31Z

Straight Talking 31

Recycle Stations roll out in Hull
Food waste collections made easy
Swale's new Inner Caddy recycling scheme
National Library of Wales embraces the "Green" message
Straight shows real steel
Show us your butt

Download Straight Talking 31 - (880Kb)

National Library of Wales Spreads "Green" Message

Admin — 2007-08-07T10:13:20Z

Slim Jim

There is increasing pressure on businesses to take action and reduce the amount of waste that they create. In Wales, recycling rates are on the up as more local businesses strive to go green.

To help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, The National Library of Wales (TNLW) has placed office recycling containers supplied by Straight around the library for staff and visitors to use, encouraging the collection of a range of recyclable materials including paper, plastic, cans, cardboard and batteries.

The Library wanted to show its commitment to the environment after joining the Welsh Green Dragon Environmental Management System and chose to work with Straight after investigating ways of reducing their carbon footprint.

Straight supplied TNLW with more than 450 Slim Jim containers as well as deskside containers with saddle attachment to be used in the library. The deskside containers are used to collect paper, whilst the saddle attachments are used for .... The Slim Jims included lids with apertures for bottles, cans and paper in addition to standard grab lids.

So far, the response to the containers has been very positive with both staff and visitors using them. Employees are seen as key to the success of the recycling scheme as they are involved in all areas of the library.

Andrew Williams, Attendant Services Manager for The National Library of Wales said, "The introduction of these containers was an ideal solution to reducing the amount of waste that we send to landfill and have encouraged staff and visitors to recycle more."

Williams continues, "Feedback regarding the recycling containers has been good and this has been further demonstrated by the number of people using them. We can all do our small bit to protect the environment and the recycling containers have raised awareness of what is an important issue."

The National Library of Wales is described as one of the world's great libraries. Situated in Aberystwyth, West Wales, it holds the world's largest collection of works about Wales and other Celtic nations. The striking building has an impressive history and 2007 marks its centennial year since receiving its first Royal Charter in 1907. The library houses a staggering 4.5 million books and is a place for all generations to visit and enjoy.

Gum Crime - Leeds Tackles a Sticky Problem

Admin — 2007-08-01T10:47:03Z

Gummy Bin

In the UK alone, over 3.5 billion pieces of gum are disposed of every year. However, people who drop their chewing gum on the streets of Leeds are being reminded of the sticky situation they are creating for others. Following Sollihull Metropolitan Borough Council's successful trial of Gummy Bins, which saw chewing gum litter levels drop by 72%, Leeds City Council has decided to trial 25 Gummy Bins.

Straight is supplying Leeds City Council with the Gummy Bins, which will be placed in the city centre, free of charge to support the council's chewing gum litter campaign. Chewing gum litter is a growing problem for Leeds City Council as it is time consuming and very costly to remove. Repeated cleaning of pavements does not solve the problem, however, the Gummy Bin provides a proven preventative measure against gum litter.

A standard Gummy Bin installation can collect up to 25,000 pieces of gum per year (based on a 50 bin installation) and its unique and quirky design is easily recognisable. It is hoped that placing the Gummy Bins in prominent locations will help encourage people not to drop their gum on the streets and provide somewhere for them to dispose of it.

The trial is due to run for a period of six months and council staff will be monitoring the amount of gum litter before, during and after the Gummy Bin trial to determine its success. Leeds City Council is currently taking part in a national advertising campaign to raise awareness of the problem of gum litter and is encouraging people to dispose of their gum responsibly. Posters and adverts will appear at bus stops, telephone boxes and railway stations to reinforce the message. Throughout the campaign people will be reminded that they could receive on the spot fixed penalty fines of up to £75 for dropping their chewing gum on the street.

Councillor Steve Smith, executive board member for environmental services, said, "Chewing gum litter blights our streets and there are approximately 300 pieces of gum per square metre in the worst affected areas."

Councillor Smith continues, "We are extremely pleased to be at the forefront of this campaign and hope that increased awareness raising and education about the problem, as well as a hard-line approach to enforcement will help to reduce the amount of gum litter."

Jonathan Straight, CEO of Straight plc comments, "We are delighted to be sponsoring Leeds City Council and fully support their chewing gum litter campaign. We look forward to seeing the results from the Gummy Bin installation as this has already been proven to significantly reduce the amount of chewing gum disposed of on the streets in other areas."

Straight Newsletter 30

Admin — 2007-06-21T14:25:47Z

Straight Talking 30

WRAP trials food waste collections
Recycling flat out
Water water everywhere!
Wealden choose Inner Caddy solution
Thurrock trial food and garden waste collections
Sky high paper recycling

Download Straight Talking 30 - (1.06mb)

Swale's New Inner Caddy Recycling Scheme

Admin — 2007-06-12T11:05:02Z

Inner Caddy

A new 40 litre Inner Caddy has been introduced by Straight plc to join its larger 55 litre version and Swale Borough Council is first to order the new container which will sit inside the 240 litre recycling bins.

Alan Turner, Cleansing Services Manager for Swale Borough Council, said "Throughout the summer months of 2007 we'll be rolling out a new borough-wide recycling scheme to enable residents to recycle more of their waste. 45,000 properties will be given a blue wheeled bin with a black Inner Caddy that will sit in the top."

Materials collected in the wheeled bin will be paper, cardboard, cans and plastics with glass collected separately in the Inner Caddy. "The Caddy is perfect as it allows us to separate glass from the other materials. It takes up less space on the kerbside and as all recyclables will be collected on the same day it reduces the environmental and financial impacts" Alan Turner continued.

The Inner Caddy is available in 40 litre and 55 litre capacities with the option of a divider and features ergonomic multi-grip handles. Custom graphics are available either as a print or moulded in to the recycled plastic body. The Caddy also features a unique sliding action when lifting it out of the wheeled bin and this allows the safe removal of the collected materials. The Inner Caddy provides a second recycling container without taking up any more space at the kerbside and transforms a standard 240 litre wheeled bin into a multi-compartment recycling system.

Previously Swale BC had a paper recycling scheme in the majority of the Borough. The Isle of Sheppey used a twin kerbside box collection scheme with cans, paper and foil collected in one box and glass in the other. Alan Turner added "We considered options for collecting glass and learned from other authorities including Bradford MDC at how their scheme was working with the 55 litre Inner Caddy. We're confident we've chosen the best container for the job and our aim is to immediately increase our recycling rates from 14% to 30-35%."

Office Paper Mountain Solution

Admin — 2007-02-12T15:10:41Z

Secure Containers

Many businesses in the UK are increasingly aware of the need to recycle the amount of waste they produce with particular emphasis on paper and confidential waste. Straight plc, the UK's leading supplier of recycling container solutions, offers a wide range of office recycling equipment to help businesses do their bit.

S_ Security Shredding is a confidential and general waste recycling company operating around London and the Home Counties area; collecting waste from offices and taking it to a recycling plant. They specialise in the collection and destruction of confidential material and utilise the Straight confidential range for this service.

Sean Luther, Managing Director of S_ Security Shredding said "For every tonne of paper collected for recycling, 17 trees are spared; this illustrates the growing requirement for office recycling facilities."

A number of secure cabinets and containers are available from Straight including the popular Personal Document Container, Paper Collection Cabinet and Secure Slim Jim. All feature a secure locking mechanism and are available in different sizes to suit individual requirements.

Mr Luther continues "Straight offers a great range of office recycling equipment for general waste and for confidential documents. All our customers have been delighted with the products they've received and we have no hesitation in recommending them."

Other office recycling options include means to recycle paper and other materials at the desk side, communal containers for cans, plastic and glass such as the established Slim Jim range which offers a flexible system consisting of interchangeable bodies, colour-coded lids and trolleys.

DHL Super Highway For Bin Deliveries

Admin — 2007-02-08T15:22:40Z

Straight and DHL

Straight plc, market leader in recycling containers, has forged a partnership with DHL, the global market leader in contract logistics, for all its product deliveries. The move will strengthen Straight's operations and deliveries of both bulk and retail transport operations.

Delivering more than 250,000 individual products during the summer of 2006 proved a great challenge for Straight and the management team recognised that a change in operational procedures was required. "The record sales achieved in 2006 highlighted the need to build more flexibility into our business model to facilitate future growth. Our partnership with DHL will enable us to do this", Mark Halford, operations director at Straight said.

DHL is familiar with Straight's core product range and services as the two companies have worked together on the national home composting campaign run by WRAP. Straight and DHL will introduce an improved data system to achieve higher customer service levels for both retail and trade customers going forward.

"Straight has grown at a rapid pace since 2003 and particularly since the acquisition of Blackwall, yet our logistics systems have evolved from two relatively small companies. The new partnership will both strengthen our own operations and bring the flexibility the business now requires", Mark Halford added.

One of longer term benefits of this union is that it will allow Straight to move away from a single warehouse location which will improve the efficiency and services it offers. "Our expertise lies in production and logistics management. By tapping into DHL's undoubted leadership in the field of warehousing and transport, this can only be good news for future growth of the business", said Mark.

Straight will maintain an experienced management team for operations, production and logistics to further develop the business practices and systems. It will also ensure first hand contact with suppliers and customers.

Straight Newsletter 29

Admin — 2007-01-30T14:29:10Z

Straight Talking 29

Neat solution for kerbside collections
Butts boost Greenfingers Appea
Sticky problem solved
Jersey recycling rates on the rise
Solutions for diverting biodegradable waste from landfill
New Caddy ensures targets for Bradford
Straight insight
Hospitals 'Step-On' clinical waste

Download Straight Talking 29 - (719Kb)

Straight Solves Sticky Gum Problem

Admin — 2007-01-22T15:35:38Z

Gummy Bin

Straight plc is pleased to announce its exclusive distributor agreement with Gummy Bins Ltd to solve the sticky chewing gum problem for local authorities.

The Gummy Bin is the world's first collection and recycling system for chewing gum. Its range of innovative, quirky bins offers a convenient way for people to dispose of their gum whilst making a positive contribution to the environment.

Jonathan Straight, chief executive of Straight plc said "This is a fantastic addition to our range of recycling solutions that we can offer to our customers and we are delighted to have teamed up with Gummy Bins Ltd."

Each Gummy Bin encloses a reusable cartridge system that holds up to 500 pieces of spent gum and enables the used gum to be recycled. Amazingly one of its main uses is to be reprocessed into drainage systems for football pitches.

As discarded chewing gum is now classed as litter under the Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act, local authorities are responsible for the cleaning and removal of gum in towns and cities across the UK. Mr Straight adds: "Chewing gum is a universal problem which local councils spend millions of pounds on every year. Now they have access to a proven solution which dramatically reduces cleaning costs and solves one of the worst litter problems of the last 50 years."

Over twenty local authorities including Rochdale, Dudley, Tonbridge & Malling and Solihull installed the DEFRA accepted Gummy Bins in 2006. The results are impressive, showing a reduction of up to 75% chewing gum deposits in the vicinity of the bins*.

Donna Rogers, technical & performance officer at Dudley MBC said "From monitoring our nine test areas, we can see that the bins have had a huge impact on the amount of gum still being dropped on the ground. The count before the campaign totalled 2,253 pieces of gum and the count taken in September of the same test areas only totalled 86 pieces of gum."

*Figures collated from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Fife Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.

Straight Butts Boost Greenfingers Appeal

Admin — 2006-11-23T15:45:10Z

Greenfingers Appeal

Straight plc has donated £10,000 to the Greenfingers Appeal marking the third year of its support for the charity and making a total contribution to date by Straight of £30,000.

The Greenfingers Appeal is the charity of the gardening industry and is dedicated to the creation and improvement of gardens at Children's Hospices around the UK. Whilst generally the children are too ill to be actively involved, the grounds and gardens of a hospice play a vital role as a place of peace, solitude and calm, for parents, siblings, friends and relations.

Jonathan Straight, chief executive of Straight plc presented the latest cheque to three well known gardening celebrities and supporters of the Greenfingers Appeal: Charlie Dimmock; Peter Seabrook; and Joe Swift at the House of Commons.

Funds have been raised through Straight plc's retail catalogue Evengreener from the sale of compost bins and water butts. Jonathan Straight said: "Straight makes a donation for every compost bin and water butt sold from our catalogue, Evengreener. Throughout 2006 we had the support of Channel 4's City Gardener Matt James, which has helped enormously to raise the profile of the appeal. We are delighted to have contributed to such a worthy cause and look forward to continuing our support through 2007."

Straight Boxes To Double Oxford Recycling Rates

Admin — 2006-11-09T15:57:14Z

Kerbside Box

Straight plc, the UK's leading supplier of kerbside recycling containers, has recently supplied Oxford City Council with 35,000 of its 55 litre kerbside boxes. The Council aims to double its recycling rate by 2007/8 primarily through the use of these containers.

Most households in Oxford already have a green box for recycling. They are now being issued with a blue box allowing the range of materials collected to be expanded. Oxford City will be collecting glass, textiles and office-grade paper in the green box, whilst the blue box will be used for plastics and cans along with other paper and cardboard. Both boxes are provided to householders with a sticker attached to advise which material to include in each.

The Straight 55 litre Grab Box is perfectly styled for the domestic environment yet is a tough and durable container meeting the demands of collection crews. The extra wide rim provides a versatile hand grip allowing the box to be lifted from almost any angle.

Charlie Bartfield, senior account manager at Straight plc who manages the Oxford City Council account added We are delighted to be assisting Oxford City Council towards doubling its recycling rate for 2007/08 with the introduction of additional kerbside boxes from Straight. We produced labels for each box at short notice and worked to the tight delivery deadlines set by the Council, successfully meeting their requirements.

Oxford City Council is currently recycling 19% of its resident's waste, but with the new scheme being in force across the City by April, it is aiming for a 40% recycling rate for 2007/08.

Focus on... Wales

Admin — 2006-10-30T12:24:51Z

Focus on... Wales

Straight plc have helped a number of Welsh local authorities increase their recycling activity with a variety of kerbside recycling, organic solutions and home composting.

Download Focus on... Wales Case Study (English) - (848Kb)

Download Focus on... Wales Case Study (Welsh) - (820Kb)

Winning Streak For Straight

Admin — 2006-10-10T16:00:00Z

Jonathan Straight

Jonathan Straight, Chief Executive of Straight plc, has won the national Entrepreneur of the Year award for quoted companies. Since winning the north region category in July, Jonathan was entered into the national competition with other regional winners, to secure the title.

All the judges were highly impressed by Jonathan and his innovative approach towards his business and industry. Rt. Hon. Lord Young, chairman of the judges' panel said "Jonathan is a creative business leader who foresaw growth in his sector, took an unpaid job in order to learn about his industry and is now a market leader."

Richard Hall, UK Markets Leader, Ernst & Young added "Through enormous commitment and vision, Jonathan has built a successful business and is recognised as a leader in his industry."

The Entrepreneur of the Year awards are founded and produced by Ernst & Young in 40 countries worldwide. The programme is an acknowledgement of the contribution that entrepreneurs make, not just to business, but to society as a whole and the risks that they take in doing so. In short, it recognises exceptional people achieving extraordinary things.

Jonathan Straight is delighted to have won the national award for the Quoted Companies category. "The competition was very tough and the judges are all accomplished leaders in their fields. I am over the moon to have won this very prestigious award but would like to share this success with all of my team for their unbending and loyal commitment."

New Solution For Outdoor Recycling

Admin — 2006-09-12T16:11:13Z

Blik System

The new Blik Modular Recycling System is now available from Straight plc. It is a sleek three drawer container designed for the collection of separated dry recyclables in an outdoor environment.

The system is designed for near-entry recycling or for collecting materials in communal areas. Comparable in size to a standard 240 litre wheeled bin, each Blik module has three 44 litre drawers each for a different material. By standing several modules together, a wide range of materials can be collected separately.

The Blik Modular Recycling System is fully customisable to suit individual needs and can be produced in a range of vibrant colours including WRAP colours. Intuitive apertures are fitted in order to identify specific material streams.

Each set of three containers is secured to the base of the unit by a plastic rod that can only be removed with a special key. Once the rod is in place, the drawers cannot be removed and the unit is locked to the base.

Each drawer can be removed individually and hung on the side of a collection vehicle. Alternatively the whole unit can be wheeled to the kerbside therefore reducing the lift and carry activity by collection operatives.

Jack Baber, Product Development Manager commented "The Blik Modular Recycling System is a great new addition to our container range, offering customers new options to tackle multi-material recycling outdoors."

New Wheeled Bin Caddy

Admin — 2006-06-13T16:22:16Z

Inner Caddy

This new Wheeled Bin Caddy is a new and exciting addition to the Straight kerbside container range. It transforms a standard 240 litre wheeled bin into a multi-compartment recycling system. Nesting inside the mouth of a wheeled bin, the Caddy allows residents to separate materials with no additional effort.

Designed to provide a second container without taking up any more space at the kerbside, the new Caddy offers a more efficient use of existing stock of wheeled bins.

Bradford MBC Council will roll out the new container to 30,000 homes in the second half of 2006. They hope to expand the scheme to a further 90,000 properties in the following year. The caddies will be used to separate glass and cans from paper.

"The Straight design team have clearly worked hard to develop the new container. The insert is easy for our operators to remove from the wheeled bin and will allow us to extend the range of materials we collect in a single pass. This without increasing the footprint of recycling containers at households. The Straight caddy will form the foundation of the relaunch of an improved recycling service throughout the district." said Ian Bairstow, Head of Service, Bradford MBC.

The innovative caddy has been designed with the user and collection operatives in mind with multi grip handles in each long side and a flat base to aid the storage of the separated items. It also encompasses a simple sliding action when lifting the caddy from the wheeled bin which allows the safe removal of the collected materials.

Following recent media coverage on the health and safety of Kerbside Containers, Tom Musgrove, Director of National Accounts at Straight plc commented, "I believe this is a great step forward for kerbside collections for the UK. Many authorities have already implemented their kerbside schemes. The new caddy has received a positive reaction from local authorities and Heath and Safety consultants". Straight will be showcasing this new development at both the CIWM and the RWM exhibitions in 2006.

Pembrokeshire Increasing Recycling Target With Home Composting

Admin — 2006-06-01T09:46:03Z

Compost Machine

Straight provided Pembrokeshire County Council with 30,000 home compost bins through a previous tender and has now been awarded the contract for the door to door home delivery to residents across the County.

Under the Council's new county-wide composting campaign every household will be supplied with a free 335 litre Compost Machine. This is in a bid to encourage residents to compost their garden waste and uncooked kitchen waste in a more environmentally friendly and economically sustainable way; reducing the amount of green waste sent to landfill whilst providing the householder with a free supply of compost for use in their garden.

The home compost bins are made from 100% recycled plastic, with a twist locking windproof lid and covered by a fifteen year guarantee. A large side-hatch allows easy removal of the finished compost.

In addition to the compost bin, householders will receive a composting information guide with further composting support is available through a telephone information line and local compost advisors. Straight is also offering discounted accessories including composter bases and accelerator liquid.

The home delivery started in April and will be complete by the end of August 2006. "Pembrokeshire is quite a rural area so home delivering all of the composters is a difficult task; however Straight have made a very good start and we are extremely pleased with the progress to date. According to the Assembly Government, home composting of green and vegetable wastes is the single most effective waste prevention measure that local authorities can promote, so by encouraging people to compost at home we're confident of making a significant contribution to meeting Pembrokeshire's landfill diversion targets" says home compost officer Paul Watkins.

Straight To Supply Lincoln via ESPO

Admin — 2006-05-09T10:00:21Z

Two Wheeled Bin

Straight plc, Europe's leading supplier of recycling containers, has been selected as the key supplier for wheeled bins and sole supplier for kerbside boxes through the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO). ESPO was one of the first organisations to run an on-line tender in order to award the contract.

Under the new supply agreement, Straight will supply the City of Lincoln Council with 75,000 wheeled bins along with home delivery services.

" The supply and delivery of wheelie bins is a huge logistical task," comments Ian Taylor, Environment Promotions Manager at the Council. "Straight will be supplying both black and brown wheelie bins to around 37,000 households in Lincoln and this will be done, working with the Council and Cory Environmental, within a 3 month period."

The bins are due to arrive at households throughout Lincoln from September 2006. The majority of households in Lincoln already have a green wheeled bin for garden waste, however by the end of the year every house will also have a brown wheeled bin to use for recyclable materials and a black wheeled bin for residual wastes.

This is the biggest overhaul in waste services made by the Council in the last 30 years. The primary driver behind the change is to increase recycling participation and it is intended that the new service will also benefit street cleansing, as there will be far fewer split bags to deal with across the city.

Ian comments: "We are very pleased to have awarded the contract to Straight and we are looking forward to working with them to roll out the bins from September. Straight have substantial experience working with Councils nationwide and we are confident their services will enable us to deliver the bins in the most cost effective and efficient way."

Tom Musgrove, Operations Director from Straight comments: "We are delighted to have been awarded the contract and to be a part of improving recycling facilities for the people of Lincoln. We have vast experience and expertise in supplying recycling products to homes and will work closely with the City of Lincoln Council and Cory Environmental to ensure the roll-out of wheeled bins is a success."

Small Boxes Are A Big Hit!

Admin — 2006-03-15T10:11:25Z

Kerbside Box

Straight is seeing an increase in demand for its smaller kerbside boxes as Councils are separating out heavier materials, such as glass and paper, for collection. Recent contracts have been secured for the Straight's 40 litre and 44 litre containers.

Both the 40 litre and 44 litre boxes share the same key features as their bigger sister 55 litre boxes, including chip nest, multiple divider positions for collecting and custom graphics. For ease of lifting, the 40 litre box has an extra wide rim making the box easy to lift from any angle and the 44 litre box has an ergonomic grip handle making it easy to lift for the resident and to lift and tip for the collection crew. A range of additional options including windproof lids and nets are available for both boxes.

Birmingham City Council is the latest authority to order 45,000 of the Straight 40 litre grab rim box to collect paper and cardboard in. This is the first stage in a shake up of all their kerbside collections due to roll out during 2006 and 2007.

Phil Brook, Waste Minimisation Officer at the council said: "The grab-rim 40 litre kerbside box was chosen due to the easy handling provided by the moulded rim. This allows for a safe and secure grip, even with a gloved hand. The box has the added advantage that it can be lifted from any side therefore reducing manual handling risks".

Paper will be collected from residents on a fortnightly basis and will be taken to a local paper mill where it will be turned into cardboard. The mill currently recycles more than 30,000 tonnes of paper from Birmingham residents and could use much more.

Coventry City Council is expanding its kerbside collection scheme by rolling out a further 108,000 Straight 44 litre boxes with elasticated nets to households across the city. Coventry currently collects paper from almost half of its households; the expansion of this scheme means that most homes in the city will now have a collection service.

Julie Bird, waste services officer says: "I am delighted we are able to expand our recycling collections across the city. We have made a number of changes to refuse collections to allow us to easily incorporate this scheme with a fortnightly collection. We hope the paper collection service and the expansion of our green waste scheme in the spring will increase our recycling rates to help meet our target of 18% by March 2006"

Elasticated nets supplied with kerbside boxes are ideal when collecting material such as paper as they allow the householder to fill above the rim of the box as well as acting as a "soft" lid to prevent the paper from blowing away.

Julie also commented:"We chose a 44 litre box because paper is heavy material to collect and we felt the smaller box would help reduce any risks surrounding manual handling issues."

Acquisition of Cloudburst Garden Products

Admin — 2006-01-16T10:18:51Z

Couldburst

Straight, the Leeds-based supplier of recycling containers and environmental container solutions which is listed on AIM, today announces the acquisition of the assets and trade of Cloudburst garden products.

These have been purchased from Titan Environmental Limited, part of Kingspan Group plc, for a consideration of £150,000, payable in cash.

The Cloudburst business, which generated unaudited profits of approximately £150,000 for the year to October 2005, supplies a number of rainwater containers and home composters as well as associated accessories across the Cloudburst, Ecolake, Garden Lake and Garden River brands. These complement Straight's core business, which supplies local authority and water company customers.

In addition, the Cloudburst range is well established in both retail and export markets, both of which Straight is keen to develop further.

Straight Chief Executive Jonathan Straight said: "We are delighted to add this well-established business to our portfolio. Through it we have established routes into areas of the retail trade in which we have not previously been active.

"We now have further products to add to our core range. In addition, a network of overseas distributors will help us to meet one of our key goals - increasing exports. These new customers will also be interested in products from our existing range and will assist us in building a strong retail and export environmental garden products business from an established starting point."

Exel And Straight Wins Wrap Contract

Admin — 2005-12-01T09:32:42Z

Exel and Straight

Exel, the world leader in supply chain management and Straight plc, the recycling solutions specialists have been successful in winning a major distribution and order fulfilment contract for the second year running on behalf of WRAP's National Home Composting Programme.

Following the successful partnership in 2004-5, WRAP awarded the contract to Exel to deal with the response to home composting campaigns run all over England and Scotland, processing orders direct from householders and delivering composters to the door within 14 days. Exel won the tender due to its ability to offer an efficient fast track delivery service and wide range of stockholding facilities nationwide and the ability of Straight plc who are using the well known Blackwall brand name to offer a first class order fulfilment service.

Exel presented Blackwall as its customer service partner to deal with the considerable demands of responding to the WRAP marketing campaigns encouraging residents to use a home composter in order to minimise the amount of organic waste going for landfill. It is hoped that up to 500,000 households will respond to the campaign.

Dealing directly with large numbers of customer orders and enquiries in response to major environmental campaigns is a highly specialised area of customer service and one which Blackwall has a great deal of experience having worked on similar campaigns on behalf of many local authorities, water and energy companies during the past 10 years.

Scott Carruthers, General Manager at Exel who is responsible for running the contract is pleased that WRAP have seen the benefits of the Exel & Straight partnership for a second year. "Having won the contract for phase 2 with Blackwall we are delighted that we are now able to continue the progress made in order to deliver Phase 3 of the WRAP campaign.Blackwall's customer contact and order fulfilment experience from working on similar campaigns across the UK, gives them edge over other fulfilment houses. We are pleased to be able to continue this partnership."

The contract also includes for the provision of up to 100 One Day Sales, where residents can collect composters on a given day.

Kerbside Box Distribution

Admin — 2005-11-01T12:38:52Z

Dartford Borough
Council

Straight was successful in winning a contract from Dartford Borough Council to supply 40,000 of its 55 litre kerbside boxes and lids. The contract was designed so that the successful contractor would also deliver a comprehensive range of promotional and support services.

The 55 litre grab-rim kerbside boxes were introduced to replace an existing clear sack scheme for the collection of co-mingled recyclables. The aim being to increase recycling rates.

Central to the additional services supplied was a telephone helpline that ran from Straight's Leeds-based contact centre but using a local Dartford telephone number. This was to help residents with any queries they may have had regarding the new scheme. More than 1400 residents called with all calls logged and reported to Dartford Borough Council.

A website was set up to provide information and to assist with resident queries. Hosted on the Straight server the site gave details on what to recycle, and dealt with frequently asked questions. Almost 1,000 hits were recorded on the site since it was set up.

In partnership with the Council, Straight staff also hit the roads of Dartford during October and November 2005 with the 'Box It' road shows. The service included arranging and setting up the shows, supplying promotional panels to explain the scheme and being on hand to answer any questions.

Dave Thomas, Waste Management Officer at Dartford Borough Council said: "The new boxes make recycling easier and cheaper as they are more user-friendly and eliminate the continual cost of replacing and delivering clear sacks. The whole scheme has been extremely positively received by residents. Straight plc have supplied us with an all round professional and efficient first-class service that encompassed all aspects of the company from the use of their contact centre facilities to marketing skills to.production and delivery of the boxes."

Dartford 'Box It' with Straight

Admin — 2005-11-01T09:42:41Z

'Box It'

Dartford Borough Council has recently rolled out its latest 'Box It' scheme in partnership with Straight plc. The tender for this scheme was uniquely designed so the successful contractor would deliver a comprehensive range of promotional and support services in addition to the manufacture and home delivery of 40,000 kerbside boxes with lids.

The 55 litre grab-rim kerbside boxes have replaced an existing clear sack scheme for the collection of co-mingled recyclables. Dartford Borough Council hope the move from sacks to boxes will increase recycling rates to meet the 25% government target for 2005/6.

Central to the additional services supplied is a telephone helpline that was run from Straight's Leeds-based contact centre but via a local Dartford telephone number. This was to help residents with any queries they may have had regarding the new scheme. More than 1400 residents took advantage of this service with all calls logged.

In addition Straight also set up a website to provide information and to assist with resident queries. Information on the site gave details on what to recycle, and dealt with frequently asked questions. Almost 1,000 hits have been recorded on the site since it was set up at the beginning of October.

In partnership with the Council, Straight staff also hit the roads of Dartford during October and November with the 'Box It' road shows. This included arranging and setting up the shows, supplying promotional panels to explain the scheme and being on hand to answer any questions.

Third Year Composting WRAP Up

Admin — 2005-11-01T08:11:58Z

Kitchen Composter

Straight plc, the AIM quoted supplier of waste and recycling containers, announces the award of a new contract worth £1.44 million to supply home composters and accessories to WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme).

This contract, following an award earlier this year, will result in the continuous production of more than 300,000 home composters. These will be used towards WRAP's target of delivering a further 500,000 home composting bins through 2006. The 220 litre and 330 litre compost bins, supplied under Straight's Blackwall brand, have been a major focus of the WRAP campaign, which will now enter its third year.

More than 90% of the composters will be manufactured in the UK with the balance made elsewhere in Germany. A new Kitchen Composter developed by Straight is also included in the products selected by WRAP. This allows all biodegradable material to be composted by including the composting of cooked foods as well as meat, fish and dairy products.

Straight's ability to manufacture and commit to stock large numbers of composters enables the company to meet very tight lead times and has been a major factor in maintaining its position as on of Europe's leading supplier of home composters.

Paul Crayton, Supply Chain Manager at Straight plc is confident that the demands of the WRAP contract would not prove a problem."We have a huge advantage over our competitors as we have large production and stock holding capabilities both in the UK and in Europe, allowing us to supply our numerous local authority contracts and WRAP within days if required."

Kitchen Composter Achieves 100 percent Home Composting

Admin — 2005-08-01T08:54:18Z

Kitchen Composter

Following extensive trials in East Sussex, Straight plc is launching the Blackwall Kitchen Composter, which allows householders to compost virtually 100 percent of their organic waste arisings at home.

The composter is based on the Japanese Bokashi system and is one of the most effective methods of composting meat, fish, bones, dairy products and other kitchen waste, including cooked foods, all of which are placed into the caddy-style container.

Because the process is odour-free and does not attract fruit flies, the container may be conveniently sited on the kitchen counter top. A natural activator, made from a mix of friendly bacteria, Effective Micro-organisms, is sprinkled over the material as it is added to the container. After a few days, the contents may be safely added to a conventional home composter, such as the Blackwall Compost Converter, where they will break down and will not attract vermin.

The small, air-tight unit is the perfect partner to conventional home composters, allowing the volume of organic waste diverted from landfill to be dramatically increased. As householders can now compost virtually all of their organic waste arisings, the impact on the waste stream is potentially considerable.

The container also features a tap, which allows a liquid feed to be drained off that may be used to fertilise the garden, or simply be poured into drains to prevent odours.

Water Conservation - Southern Water

Admin — 2005-07-01T12:44:18Z

Southern Water

Straight has successfully worked in partnership with Southern water for the past 6 years and have run a number of different water conservation promotions with them over that time. Water Companies are set targets by OFWAT to encourage their customers to conserve water. Straight assists Water Companies to meet this goal by promoting a range of water saving products.

In 2005 Straight designed and printed full colour high quality leaflets for Southern Water to be distributed with the water bills, offering water butts and composters to residents at discounted prices. Products were available on a home delivery basis but with the option to try the goods out for 60 days before choosing whether to keep the goods. This offer was extremely popular with over 6,000 water butt kits being purchased by customers.

With the summer of 2005 being particularly hot in the South of England and water running short, Southern Water asked for further help with their water conservation programme. With our expert guidance they chose to offer a One Day Sale which offered customers an option to collect water butts on a designated day from selected collection points. Straight sourced the two best locations in the Southern Water catchment area and provided all the marketing support. This included producing a further 240,000 bespoke leaflets and organising the distribution.

Customers were able to order their products by a number of methods, through a dedicated telephone line, by sending payment in the post or by ordering online through a dedicated website. This hard-hitting campaign resulted in the supply of a further 3,000 water butts across the region.

Retail Programme - Home Composting

Admin — 2005-06-01T12:32:43Z

Kent City Council

Kent County Council has worked in partnership with Straight for the past 5 years under the Blackwall brand name. During that time, they have utilised a number of different options for residents of Kent to obtain compost bins for their home with over 70,000 composters being sold to date.

During 2004-5 residents could purchase a composter for just 6.00, the price subsidised by Kent County Council. Composters were made available for collection from local garden centres aswell as for home delivery.

To promote the scheme, Straight produced 550,000 full colour high quality leaflets for delivery to every household. Leaflets were distributed in a variety of ways, for example with kerbside box deliveries and green waste collection notices. The remainder were delivered by Royal Mail's door-to-door service. Straight also sourced and produced advertisements in local council newsletters.

Six garden centre partners in the most densely populated areas were chosen on behalf of Kent County Council. A dedicated account manager dealt with all of the garden centre partners across the UK, processing orders and enquiries and ensuring the composter scheme ran smoothly. A full point of sale promotional pack was supplied to each garden centre.

Since June 2005, an additional 10,000 compost bins have been supplied through this campaign.

Epsom & Ewell Prepare To Wheel Out Mini Bins!

Admin — 2005-05-01T10:27:42Z

Mini Bin

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council have extended their kerbside collection scheme to include the new 50 litre Mini Bin from Blackwall the first Mini Bin order to be fulfilled by the Straight and Blackwall partnership following the merger in January of this year. The merger of the two companies creates a business worth over £20 million, one of the biggest suppliers of containers for recycling and composting in the UK.

The Council currently use the Blackwall 55 litre kerbside boxes and 47 litre blue recycling bags to collect paper and the Mini Bin will be added to reduce assisted collections across the Borough.

The Mini Bin is fitted with 2 heavy-duty wheels, which makes it easy for those who may struggle with the weight of a kerbside box when bringing it to kerbside, therefore reducing the requirement for assisted collections which can be time consuming and costly.

Other features include a close fitting 'throw back' hinged lid and can be supplied with an added steel latch to lock the lid. Available with or without wheels (without wheels reduces the cost per unit and increases the capacity) the Mini Bin's tall upright design takes up minimum floor space allowing residents to keep the bin in a corner of the kitchen or by the back door.

Jon Sharpe, Epsom & Ewell's Recycling Officer explained why he chose the Mini Bin over other containers available on the market: "We chose the 50 litre Mini Bin because it's strong, study and easy to move. It can be left indoors or out and we will be offering them to those residents where we currently collect from the back door so that they can bring the bin to kerbside on collection days."

The Mini Bin can be branded with corporate logos and recycling messages dependent on order quantities. Manufactured to the highest quality standards the Mini Bin is the strongest container of its type on the market and guaranteed for 5 years.

Blackwall Merges With Straight

Admin — 2005-01-17T10:35:06Z

Straight & Blackwall

In a move that brings together two of the largest suppliers of specialist containers to the waste management and recycling sector, AIM listed Straight plc has conditionally agreed to acquire Blackwall Limited for a mixture of cash and shares and intends to merge the two businesses. The purchase was approved at a meeting of shareholders on 17 January 2005.

Both companies are suppliers of container solutions for source separated waste to local authorities, waste management companies, community sector organisations and private sector businesses. Both also supply end-users with a comprehensive range of environmentally friendly home and garden products, including compost bins and water butts, often through partnerships with local councils and water companies.

The merger creates a £20 million plus business. Straight is the biggest brand in the kerbside box market, while Blackwall leads the home composting sector.

Straight plc was formed in 1993 and floated on the AIM market towards the end of 2003. Within a year the company had launched a specialist materials handling division, providing plastic pallets, supply chain containers and new crates and baskets to the bakery, beverage and dairy sectors. Blackwall Limited, also based in Leeds, is a privately owned company formed in 1995. Following the merger the Blackwall name will be retained for the Group's retail business.

Commenting on the announcement Straight's chief executive Jonathan Straight said: "I have admired the Blackwall business for many years. Max Davidson and Grant Blakemore have built up an excellent organisation, delivering the best in home composting initiatives as well as innovative recycling solutions. The merger gives both our customers access to the best elements of both the Straight and Blackwall brands. For suppliers, it means the potential to share in the increased volumes and continual growth in the market for our companies' products. For the staff of both organisations there will be more opportunities and rewards. As we enter 2005 as the market leader in kerbside recycling containers and home composters, we look forward with confidence to growing the combined business in the future."

Max Davidson, joint managing director of Blackwall, said: "The obvious synergies between the two companies makes the merger of the two organisations an exciting prospect. The drive and energy that Jonathan Straight brings to his business links perfectly with the marketing, customer service and operational skills we have developed at Blackwall. Both Grant Blakemore and I believe that this merger will be in the best interests of all our customers, suppliers and staff and offers significant opportunities for all concerned."