• Swindon & Wiltshire Eco
• Thursday October 19 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Berkshire e-waste recycling specialist iWaste spends £100,000 on new vans to meet demand

Electronic waste recycling specialist Intelligent Waste Management Ltd (iWaste) is investing heavily in new transport as business continues to grow.

The Berkshire-based company moved to bigger, scalable premises in Arborfield Cross, near Reading in April as part of strategic growth plans.

Since then it has expanded its fleet by acquiring and converting four new vans at a total cost of around £100,000.

The company buys low loaders and converts them by adding tail lifts and modifications to meet its specific needs for the collection of electronic waste.

iWaste, which employs 30 people and is a leader in the secure, certified destruction of unwanted electronic waste and data, has seen an increase in demand across all sectors.

Director Sam Prentice who founded the business with operations director Sam Mountain in 2013, said: “Ongoing business development has necessitated new transport options. It is a good position to be in.

“We need to constantly overhaul our fleet as our vans do between 40,000 and 45,000 miles a year so their lifecycle is about three years – and we need to always be certain they are robust and will not compromise our second-to-none customer service.”

iWaste uses the vans’ new bright green livery to promote its services, such as WEEE recycling and disposal, its B Corp status and secure hard drive destruction.

Sam added: “We want to make sure every van has its own little quirk – and we are also looking to name them in future, possibly inviting colleagues to make suggestions.

The company is also on a recruitment drive – seeking new drivers, an IT technician, a salesperson and warehouse staff.

iWaste even undertook a 6,000-leaflet drop across the whole of Arborfield in an attempt to recruit locally to reduce employees’ carbon footprint – which secured a number of new staff.

Sam said: “Being green is part of our whole ethos – we can’t preach about it without walking the walk ourselves and recruiting within our immediate area is very much part of that.”

iWaste has B Corp certification, known as the gold standard for sustainability, which measures a business’s entire social and environmental impact, is awarded by global non-profit network B Lab and is held by just 6,300 companies worldwide.

The company is also offsetting its carbon emissions through a partnership with the charity Forest Carbon, helping to create new woodlands across the UK and further afield, with more than 13 million trees planted since 2006.

The company’s green credentials are further demonstrated by general manager Louise Drysdale’s search for a glove supplier which will recycle old ones.

iWaste is also aiming to achieve a 100 per cent paperless business over the course of 2023-2024.

Within the company’s Ducks Nest Farm base some offices have been painted in a specially commissioned ‘iWaste green’ colour and a living wall of plants will be installed later to take advantage of plentiful natural light.

In June, the company appointed experienced management consultant Sue Warden-Owen a new non-executive director to help steer future business development after seven years collaborating with the team in a consultancy role.

iWaste provides electronic waste collection services, secure data destruction, electronic recycling equipment and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) disposal for businesses across the UK.

It is AATF (Approved Authorised Treatment Facility) licensed by the Environment Agency, the highest accreditation in the waste industry.

Clients include corporations and public sector organisations such as the NHS. iWaste is also a trusted supplier to large national waste companies and facility management companies.

Pictured: Gavin Costello, materials manager, with one of the new vans