58 CIRCULAR ECONOMY


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The business says it offers an answer to the £60m annual blow that retailers encounter from the 600,000 mattresses returned under the comfort night guarantee.


More than 70 per cent of the returned mattresses sent to TFR Group are rejuvenated and returned to retailers for resale, allowing them to reclaim significant losses.


So far more than 200,000 have been rejuvenated returning over £40m of revenue back to them.


Nick says: “The rise in online sales isn’t just in the UK, the ‘comfort night guarantee’ has become a standard consumer expectation worldwide. The challenge of product returns is a global issue that retailers from all corners are facing, underscoring the need for a universal solution.


“With this in mind, we are exploring opportunities to expand into European markets and beyond, aiming to tackle the global problem of mattress returns head-on.”


While TFRG continues to expand its operations there is still a long way to go. Nick says: “Seven to nine million mattresses are thrown away every year. If you put them in Wembley Stadium, you’d fill it two to three times over. That is that landfill capacity we are using every year for mattresses.”


Looking at the wider circular economy he adds: “You can recycle and repurpose almost anything but people won’t because it doesn’t make commercial sense.


“It is a very simple equation. Put the cost of collecting and recycling against the revenue from the commodity value and the charge for someone to take it on. Follow the money.”


Seven to nine million


mattresses are thrown away every year. If you put them in Wembley


Stadium, you’d fill it two to three times over


E-WASTE EXPERTS ON THE CHARGE


director. The group also owns the Mazuma mobile phone business, sponsors of Morecambe FC’s ground.


With annual turnover approaching £45m and a workforce of more than 70 at White Lund the future is looking bright.


Craig’s goal is to develop new and exciting ways to reduce IT waste. It is a goal which is at the forefront of the company’s ambitions.


Craig Smith


One of the UK’s leading IT recycling companies has celebrated 20 years at the cutting edge of the industry as it continues to focus on its goal of reducing e-waste.


ICT Reverse, based on the White Lund Industrial Estate in Morecambe, reached the major milestone last September.


On average the firm processes 47,000 assets each month of which 75 per cent are re-used and 25 per cent are recycled. None go to landfill.


The operation was established in 2003 by Morecambe-born entrepreneur Craig Smith and at the time focused largely on second hand phones.


During the late 1990s Craig was working in sales in the up-and-coming mobile telecommunications market at Orange in London and realised that nothing was in place to take back redundant phones when people upgraded.


Sensing an opportunity, he set up the business – initially called ShP - with two work colleagues with its initial operational base in Wimbledon.


The business grew and that expansion led to Craig’s “home-coming” return to the Lancaster and Morecambe area in 2002.


Its first home was an office in Lancaster with the securing of major contracts with T-Mobile, Blackberry, DSGi and M&S leading to the development of warehousing on White Lund in 2009.


During this period, the business expanded its recycling services to include IT equipment such as laptops, leading to further expansion and another move into its current home in the Old Reebok warehouse on Southgate.


Following a rebrand to ICT Reverse in January 2016 the company secured contracts with local authorities, banks and private businesses.


Nick Oettinger


In 2017 ICT Reverse was purchased in a multi-million-pound deal by the Eco-Renew Group, with Craig appointed the UK managing


He says: “We are continually looking at ways to develop our skills and expertise in this area. And we are currently working on a number of exciting projects including a partnership with Lancaster University.”


That particular project is looking to develop a sustainable electronic waste solution using bioleaching, which is the extraction of metals from their ores through the use of living organisms.


Craig says that the circular economy idea has risen higher up the agenda over the last few years. “Attitudes have changed, businesses have woken up to the concept. The fact they are switched on has made our lives easier.”


That growing awareness has also led to more competition in the market. “We are in a bigger pond,” he explains.


However, he adds: “The business has an experienced, dedicated and talented team across both companies and we are in a good position to push forward.


“We see growth in the market and believe we can take the business a lot further.”


The statistics would seem to back that up. Globally, 50 million tons of e-waste is generated per year and by 2030 that number will grow to 75 million.


E-waste makes up 70 per cent of overall global toxic waste yet only 18 per cent is recycled.


The UK is the second highest contributor of e-waste in the world. Over the last 15 years, the amount has doubled.


Also, nearly five per cent of global emissions come from the production of electronic devices.


ICT Reverse looks to sell on IT equipment, carrying out repairs first if needed. Equipment that is too badly damaged s harvested for parts.


Ensuring that electronic equipment is re-used, reduced and responsibly recycled, encourages carbon avoidance and generates carbon savings. Craig says: “We continue to deliver that important message about cutting carbon footprints to our clients.”


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