Company profile


Bird takes flight G


ARY BIRD, company director of Fareham-based Taurus Waste Recycling Group, is a man who doesn’t believe in standing still.


“In this business, you’ve got to keep going


forward. If you stand still, you will get left behind.” Bird has been moving forward since he was a youngster when he used to help his father in the family business by painting a bin or accompanying him in a lorry. “I came into the business in 1983 straight


from school and I’ve seen a lot of changes in the waste industry, particularly with all the qualifications that are required nowadays what with NVQs and certificates of technical competence,” says the company director. The Taurus Waste Recycling Group was set


up in the spring of 2002 by six former senior members of London-based AJ Bull Skip Hire. It opened with two skip hire and waste


transfer station operations at Byfleet and Epsom in Surrey. The formation of the Taurus Waste Recycling


Group was coupled with the acquisition of Zebra Waste Disposal Services and the Keith Dicker Group, based in Fareham and Aldershot, in Hampshire respectively. “Each of the senior management in the


company possesses over 20 years experience in the waste recycling and disposal industry and have set high standards in recognition of the need to provide a prompt and professional service to our customers,” states Bird proudly. With plans to continue its growth and


extend its service provision into more areas in the South East, Bird says the Taurus Group aims to be one of the fastest growing waste companies in the region. “The whole company


is skip hire on every location although it varies from area to area. At Fareham, we offer 3, 6, 8 and 10-yard skips along with roll-on, roll-off enclosed skips,” states the director. “All the


waste we collect is


brought to our in-house recycling centre before the residual waste is taken to a landfill site.” Customers include one-off customer garage


clearance to private clients undertaking building extensions, as well as larger construction projects where Taurus supplies bins for wood, metal and general waste. Bird again: “We cover the whole spectrum


although we are more construction and demolition (C&D) orientated. The group doesn’t deal with much commercial waste.” What changes has the company director seen


over the years? “The industry is heavily legislated like


every business these days. There have been many developments over the last 20-30 years in every kind of waste industry. There are a lot of deadlines in terms of legislation with lots of laws being passed.” However Bird warns: “We’ve gone too


quickly. It takes time for people to change habits. For example, with recycling from a householders’ point of view, kids are coming through school and have been educated, but we’re still dealing with older people who have never done it.” As well as helping clients understand the


need and the procedures for recycling, the company director points to the commercial pressures of achieving best practice and making the group stand out from its competitors. “There are the requirements to meet


legislation. We have to supply a lot of charts to prove the amount of commodities we recycle.” Then, of course, there is the aim of achieving


zero waste to landfill. “Eventually, there won’t be residue going to landfill and we shall see residue going to solid


Set up in 2002, the Taurus Waste Recycling Group aims to be one of the fastest growing waste companies in the South East. Geraldine Faulkner reports.


recovered fuel (SRF) instead,” states Bird before going on to say a lot of companies now want to see evidence of a waste management specialist’s best practice credentials before they give them any business. “Prices are very competitive and there


isn’t the spare cash. I believe the industry will end up with four to six major players. I don’t believe the one-man band will be around for much longer. They come and go, but in the next five to six years, I see a complete change of circumstances.” With this in mind, the Taurus group has


invested in a £2 million recycling facility. “It’s got technology that we don’t carry in


other sheds. This is a brand new custom-built shed that will enable us to deal internally with all the residue in the bulk loaders and have a second go at it. We believe we can knock it down by 50%. Then the product will get shipped abroad where it will be used for a re-defined fuel.” The company director pauses before adding:


“I don’t know why we have to send it abroad, but there are a few companies who are going down that route.” Due to the recession, business is still


“very tight”, Bird adds, so the Taurus group is working hard towards acquiring ISO 14001 environmental management standards. Added to which the company is maximising


the efficiency of its lorries. “We have introduced radio controlled


trackers and are employing a guy full-time to deal with vehicle routing. As work comes in, he works out which vehicle is sent out. “The system knows at any given time where


the lorries are any one time. You can call a driver up, and if there is a hold-up, he can let us know. “We also set standards and times for every unit to achieve and we try to incentivise drivers with extra money


if they achieve


an extra threshold,” explains Bird, who clearly understands that in this day and age of competitive business, keeping in touch and being in control is what will give a successful company an


edge over its competitors.


RWW


12 October 27 2011


www. r e c y c l i n gwa s t ewo r l d . c o . u k


Recycling & WA S T E W O R L D


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