Meaner and greener with high-performance stretchwrap

- 17 March 2008

Pallet wrapping needn't cost the earth. Companies seeking to reduce their expenditure on, and consumption of, pallet wrapping material need look no further than Agritel's range of high-performance stretchwrap. Switching from standard to high-performance film brings the dual benefit of saving money and reducing environmental impact.

"Our high-performance film is very strong and each roll goes an incredibly long way," explains John Duffus, Managing Director. "Trials show that it's possible to reduce the quantity of plastic used by as much as 60%, generating significant cost savings."

Read more in Profit Pointers and take the Agritel challenge: if we can't save you money, we'll give you £200!

See the difference! Compare the film needed to wrap one pallet: standard film (left) and high-performance film (right).

Wholesaler reduces waste disposal costs by 50% through using cardboard baling machine

- 18 February 2008

A Shropshire company has seen its waste management costs reduce by 50% since installing a waste cardboard baling machine at its warehouse just over six months ago.

Shrewsbury-based fruit and vegetable wholesaler Rowlands & Co (Shrewsbury) Ltd purchased the Agri-mac V75 from Agritel Ltd, who also supply recycling equipment, industrial packaging materials and pallet wrappers to companies throughout the West Midlands and Wales.

Established in 1894, Rowlands & Co has a long history and an excellent reputation for providing quality produce to catering companies, restaurants, private schools, independent and well-known medium-sized supermarkets and local stores. In 2007 the company expanded through acquisition and as a result its volume of waste packaging also increased.

Peter Rowlands, Director, explains: “Previously we piled all of our cardboard into skips, but after the acquisition we became busier so disposing of the cardboard in this manner became costly and time consuming. Agritel had supplied us with pallet wrap material for a number of years and, after recommendation, we decided to purchase a baler from them too. It was a smart move because we have reduced both the volume of cardboard waste and our disposal costs by 50%. The baler will have paid for itself within the first year and we are considering part-exchanging the current one for a double-chamber model which allows the production of cardboard and plastic bales in one machine.”

John Duffus, Managing Director at Agritel, said: “Agritel is developing a good track record in support and advice on recycling to local businesses and Rowlands is no exception. Our aim is to provide alternatives to traditional waste disposal which is often more expensive, whether hiring skips or taking directly to landfill sites. The example of Rowlands highlights that by adopting recycling solutions businesses can be both environmentally friendly and save money!”

Pictured, from left: Peter Rowlands (Director, Rowlands & Co) and John Duffus (Managing Director, Agritel).

Agritel launches glass bottle crushing machine

- 18 January 2008

Oswestry-based Agritel Ltd has been appointed the UK’s sole distributor for a glass bottle crushing machine aimed at cost-effective and convenient recycling for bar, night club, hotel and restaurant owners.

Launched on the back of Agritel’s popular range of waste plastic and cardboard balers, the Agri-mac BC Bottle Crusher is available to purchase, rent or lease from as little as £25 per week. It operates from a standard 240V electricity supply, accepts all sizes, colours and shapes of bottles and is supplied with a standard 140-litre wheelie bin which sits in a cupboard beneath the crush chamber.

The Agri-mac, which won a Shell Live Wire Award For Innovation 2006, can crush up to 600 small lager bottles in 10 minutes, approximately 2 tonnes per hour. The loading chute is set at an angle to the rotor blades and anti-kickback flaps isolate the feed and crushing chambers from any stray glass shards. The BC05 model has a dust extractor for operation in confined spaces and optional extras include a remote switch and extended chute for loading direct from bar to cellar.

Agritel’s John Morgan believes the Agri-mac has a number of advantages over conventional bottle disposal. He said: “Our research has shown that some bars and clubs are paying up to £300 a month for their glass to be collected. As a result of crushing bottles into 12mm cullets the Agri-mac provides an 85% reduction in the volume of glass to be stored prior to collection. Where collections are charged by volume as opposed to weight, these significant cost and space savings have already generated a great deal of interest in the product. If local councils do not collect crushed glass, we have agreements in place with a number of recycling companies to arrange collections at times convenient to the customer.”

Pictured, from left: John Morgan (Agritel) and Stuart Brown (manager, Grazia Restaurant, Shrewsbury) trialling a bottle crusher.

RAPS: a new service for improved waste management

- 2 July 2007

Agritel Ltd, the Oswestry-based supplier of packaging products and recycling equipment, has introduced a new service to help businesses improve their management of waste material. The Recycling Advice and Planning Service (RAPS) is aimed at any company that needs to dispose of material such as plastic, cardboard, bottles, cans, oil drums and filters.

The RAPS concept is simple: Agritel carries out a survey of the company’s current and projected waste production, and makes suggestions for improved waste management.

“Agritel is well known as a supplier of transit packaging, but we also have a growing reputation for our expertise at the other end of the cycle,” says John Morgan, Sales Director. “We offer compaction equipment for a wide range of waste material, and provide an ongoing service by arranging collection and recycling of the compacted waste.

“Companies such as Kemira GrowHow, JSR Farms and Anchor Storage are already working with us and are seeing real benefits from improvements to their waste strategies.”

With waste disposal subject to ever-tightening controls and escalating costs, Agritel’s recycling solutions are environmentally responsible and can significantly reduce expenditure. And now RAPS, a no-cost, no-obligation service, gives individual companies the chance to assess the potential benefits for themselves.

Pictured, from left: John Duffus (Managing Director) and John Morgan (Sales Director) launch RAPS

Agritel secures deal with major European manufacturer

- 5 February 2007

Shropshire-based packaging supplier Agritel Ltd has secured a new distribution deal with Europe's largest manufacturer of LDPE products, covering an extensive range of stretchfilm, bubblewrap and tapes.

What does this mean for Agritel's customers? "The ability to bulk-buy direct from the manufacturer brings obvious cost benefits," explains John Morgan, Sales Director. "Our aim is always to supply value for money; this new deal means that we can offer a wider range of top-quality products than ever before, and all at highly competitive prices.

"A further advantage is that in addition to standard products, we can now provide tailor-made lines such as coloured or printed films. For example, we recently supplied a machine stretchwrap overprinted with the customer's company name; it's an unusual and surprisingly cost-effective form of branding."

Agritel's policy is, wherever possible, to source product from ISO-accredited European manufacturers, where quality and continuity of supply is assured.

"We want our customers to keep coming back," says Managing Director John Duffus. "Of course price is important, but quality and service must also be spot-on. We evaluate new suppliers very carefully; we don't want to let our customers down."

To ensure that prospective customers are happy with product quality, Agritel can usually supply a 'try before you buy' sample.

"Really, we're just doing what we've always done: working hard to keep costs down and quality up, and to serve our customers well," adds Morgan. "But this latest addition to our supplier list brings an extra dimension to our business, and strengthens our product offering."




Pictured, from left: John Duffus, John Morgan

Our survey says ...

- 5 February 2007

Agritel's commitment to customer service is vindicated by responses to the ongoing Customer Satisfaction Survey, introduced in 2004 as part of the company's ISO9001:2000 procedure.

Every month, a random selection of customers is polled for feedback on Agritel's handling of a recent order. Analysis of responses during the past year reveals a 98.9% satisfaction rate, with only two minor problems reported. In both cases, Agritel had addressed the issue quickly and to the customer's complete satisfaction.

When asked for their overall impression, customer feedback was unfailingly positive, ranging from "Good" to "Brilliant", with many commenting on Agritel's friendly and helpful service.

John Duffus, Managing Director, says: "We view the Customer Satisfaction Survey as an important measurement tool, giving an up-to-date snapshot of our customers' perception of our performance. Because it is carried out by telephone, we find that customers frequently offer extra comments which help us better understand - and respond to - their needs and priorities."

Baling machine completes jigsaw in countrywide recycling operation

-20 November 2006

One of the UK’s largest privately-owned farming businesses is leading the way in agri-recycling with help from a Shropshire industrial and agricultural packaging supply business.

Based in Southburn, East Yorkshire The JSR Farming Group (JSR) was established in 1957 by John Sykes Rymer and now employs 135 people, farming 3,825 ha of arable land, as well as being a global player in pig production and genetics. Oswestry based Agritel Ltd supplies industrial packaging materials, business stationery, recycling equipment, and pallet wrappers to companies throughout the UK.

JSR’s commitment to recycling goes back to 1997 when technical director Philip Huxtable was involved in the set-up of a pilot project investigating alternative methods to burning waste plastic. The project was temporarily shelved in 2000 as a result of the decline in the agricultural industry but with European legislation pending, interest was revitalised in 2003. With support from agro-chemical distributor Agrovista - an associated LEAF¹ member - and recycling company Recovered Plastics, a scheme was launched in May 2005.

There were still difficulties, as Huxtable explains: “We had everything in place: Agrovista collecting from their customers and delivering to our hub and Recovered Plastics collecting from us to recycle. Whilst items such as seed and feed bags were relatively easy to store and transport, chemical containers posed more of a problem. A wagon can carry approximately 2.5 tonnes of empty containers but half of that load is essentially fresh air, so the exercise is not very space- and cost-effective. Options included a plastic shredder and a mobile granulator, but further research led us to Agritel. After trials with two sizes of baler we purchased an Agri-mac V400 machine in August this year. Containers and seed/fertiliser bags are now crushed into dense, manageable bales for storage and so saving considerable costs on transport to Recovered Plastics' base at Wrexham.

Huxtable is pleased with the current arrangements and expects an increase in activity especially when the one-year legislative probationary period ends in May 2007, by which time all farmers will need to have found an environmentally-friendly method to dispose of waste plastic. He continues: “JSR produces six tonnes of waste plastic and Agrovista predict 1kg per hectare per year for each customer that comes on board, providing us with a huge potential market and sufficient quantities of plastic to run a cost-effective operation.”

John Duffus, managing director at Agritel said: “Many issues have been raised around the disposal of the various forms of agricultural plastic including its cleanliness, packaging, storage and transport. Agritel is developing a good track record in support and advice on recycling and I’m sure that the baler JSR has purchased will serve the various parties in their scheme very well, and enable farmers to comply with the legislation.”

Pictured at the baling machine are (left to right): Chris Foley, JSR; Philip Huxtable technical director, JSR; John Duffus, managing director, Agritel.











¹ Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) is a charitable organisation working to develop and promote Intergrated Farm Management (IFM). LEAF helps farmers adopt the principles of IFM by providing practical guidelines and a comprehensive self-assessment audit. For further information, visit www.leafuk.org