No waste at Mone Brothers
Leeds-based firm playing key role in the efficient recycling of materials in Yorkshire
MONE Brothers’ Whitehall recycling depot in New Farnley forms a large part of the company’s operations and is contributing significantly to the region’s recycled aggregates market.
The site operations director Steve Horsley has been overseeing the operations for the past ten years at Whitehall and is one of four sites owned and run by Mone Brothers. Founded in 1965 by three brothers, the business now operates out of its HQ in Morley with quarrying operations at Eggborough, near Selby, and at Blackhill Quarry, in north Leeds.
‘New Farnley is where the old, demolished architectural landmarks of Yorkshire are recycled and reused to play their part in a new look, ever-evolving construction landscape,’ said Mr Horsley.
‘We take in 2,500 tonnes of demolition and landscaping waste per week and it all goes back out of the door as recycled aggregate for construction, utility companies and the general public. Nothing goes to waste. This is real green thinking in action and proof that recycling can become a commercial success.
‘From large construction companies looking for thousands of tons of Recycled Type 1 aggregate to a homeowner wanting a bag of glass sand, every customer is valued and every customer is playing their part, often unwittingly, in the environmental revolution that has taken hold in recent years.’
He added: ‘Our Whitehall recycling depot in south Leeds was purchased in the late 1980s and was mainly used for producing 6F2 recycled materials and topsoil. It was not until 2008 that we started to produce Recycled Type 1 under the YHAUC (Yorkshire Highways and Utilities Committee) accreditation.’
Since then, the aggregates industry – when it comes to utility reinstatement and highways construction – has moved forward with SMR (structural materials for reinstatement), raising the bar in quality.
‘We’ve always aimed to stay ahead of the curve and we’ll soon be adding Hydraulically Bound Materials (HBM) to our offering,’ commented Mr Horsley. ‘These are soils or aggregates that have a binder added which then hardens by a chemical or hydraulic reaction with water. We have teamed up with three firms across the region to ensure aggregates conform to the most stringent YHAUC standards. We are currently working closely with Mike Wakefield Tippers of Hull, Barnsley-based E J Lidster and aggregates firm Yarrows to ensure their operations hit the YHAUC benchmarks.’
He added: ‘The landscape of the five-acre Whitehall site has changed significantly since 2006. Instead of what appeared to be an enormous pile of muck stretching along the perimeter, we have now leveled the site off, invested heavily in screening, crushing and other plant machinery and introduced easily accessed bays for everything from river sand and topsoil to Bramley Fall stone.’
