A recycling firm which faced big challenges amid the fallout from Brexit has staged a recovery with support from Business Gateway.
Cumbernauld-based Moock Environmental Solutions suffered a big drop in revenues after its biggest client based in Europe reduced the amount of plastic it sent to be recycled in Scotland due to the implications of Brexit.
As a specialist in toner cartridge recycling, Moock had relied on firms being able to move goods freely across Europe while the UK belonged to the European Union.
However, the customer concerned highlighted the complications caused by the additional regulations faced by firms that wanted to move goods from EU countries to the UK after it left the single market. Moock said the cost of transportation from Europe also increased.
Following the setback, Moock decided it needed to diversify to reduce reliance on the toner cartridge market. The pandemic also resulted in a big drop in the usage of printer toner cartridges by businesses amid the shift to working from home.
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The company moved into plastic toy recycling after owner Graeme Clowe had a moment of inspiration.
“We knew we had to diversify our service offering if we were to survive the effects of Brexit and the pandemic,” he recalled. “An idea came to me when I noticed all the single-use plastic used to package my daughter’s toys. I thought of how many other pieces of needless plastic were going to landfills and it inspired me to act.”
After approaching Business Gateway for help with the diversification drive, Moock secured a £6,000 grant which it used to fund the purchase of a granulator, which it uses to grind materials for recycling and reprocessing.
Mr Clowe said the granulator helped the business create a circular economy and provide an improved service for our customers, while cutting transportation costs.
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The company received support from Business Gateway for its market research efforts and in the use of digital technology.
It has also developed and patented a new method of recycling toner powder, which can be reprocessed into coloured bricks and wall art.
Business Gateway adviser John Strachan said the way in which Moock had used innovation and diversification to respond to the downturn it faced was superb.
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