Recycling centre is a natural progression

AN Oldham businessman has diversified his engineering company into a recycling centre — producing carbon-neutral fuel.

Craig Fitch, from Grasscroft, has established Fitch Recycling Solutions at new, 3,000sq ft premises in Stalybridge into which he has also moved his existing business, CSF Welding Services.

Mr Fitch (43) has invested £100,000 in equipment, premises and a delivery/collection vehicle to kickstart Fitch Recycling, which has gone live this month after seven months in the planning.

Having been associated with the recycling industry for two years, manufacturing hoppers through his CSF business, Mr Fitch sees the diversification as a natural progression.

He said: “The engineering trade is tough at the moment, as everyone knows, and there are troughs around Christmas and the New Year.

“I have been working with the recycling industry for a couple of years now and saw an opportunity to diversify.

“There are definitely opportunities. I am hopeful that an entrepreneur will come along, see the potential for this fuel and find outlets and markets.

“My expertise is in sourcing the raw materials and manufacturing the briquettes.

“I have some outlets at the moment, but all the feedback suggests there is a market for this product which is totally carbon neutral.”

Mr Fitch has struck a partnership with Alan Hopkinson, who has two outlets in Yorkshire Street, Oldham, for his Open Fire business, which stocks the briquettes.

Essentially, Mr Fitch collects waste materials — sawdust and wood, cardboard and paper — which he recycles as fuel.

He added: “This is a win-win situation for everyone. Small businesses are currently having to pay to dispose of these materials so I am saving them money by collecting these waste by-products which would otherwise have gone into landfill.”

He is also developing a secure shredding business aimed at legal practices, accountants and firms requiring to securely dispose of sensitive material.

Mr Fitch delivers self-sealing sacks, into which the data is stuffed, before being shredded and compacted into fuel briquettes.

He is anxious to hear from any companies wishing to dispose of waste materials and others — like garden centres — wishing to stock the briquettes.

Mr Fitch has already taken on one member of staff and will recruit a driver and operator once the fuel business takes off.

He said: “This fuel can be used in wood-burning stoves or open fires or used to burn with logs and wood.

“The briquettes have only around 10 per cent moisture which makes a perfect complement for logs and wood, which are around 25 per cent moisture content.”