Oak Environmental Services Ltd, a new recycling company based in Bradford, will collect and recycle your HDPE drums and IBC inners FREE. The catch is that they must be clean (triple rinse, or steam clean, or jetwash), so you need to be able to dispose of any residual contents or washings legally to foul sewer under Consent to Discharge; and there's a minimum pick up weight of 500 kgs (ie 50 200L drums). IBC inners need to be cut up before they can go on Oak's wagon, but they can do this for you.

How to tell if it's the right plastic? There will be a stamped "recycling arrows" symbol containing the number 2 somewhere on the drum or inner:

Any colour accepted. Certain chemicals can't be handled because of incompatibilities (see their website at www.oakenvironmental.co.uk for details). Oak cover all of North, South, and West Yorkshire, and North and South Humberside, including Hull and Grimsby.

You get free disposal and receive duty of care note under waste regs - they get to sell plastic chippings to make drainage pipes - it's a win-win situation. Contact Chris Kellett on 01274 680600 or mobile 07713 625 672 - worth a try if you can't see half your yard for empty drums. Darrell Nash from Albion Dyestuffs Limited, Bradford has tried the service and recommends them.

If you have a problem with getting enough drums together to make a full load, we may be able to help find someone near you who also needs a part pick-up - contact janet@ttenvironmental.co.uk to discuss.

News article 01 October 2007.