Section2
www.northern-scot.co.uk
28 Friday, February 6, 2015 THE NORTHERN SCOT
Time to
Recycle, Time to celeBRATe
10 yeARs in Business
10 Years
Grays Recycling Services celebrates its 10th anniversary
with some home-made cake! Kenny Gray (right) watches
his wife Lorna cut the cake, held by mother Annie, with
son Chris (left), brother Stevie (back), son Andrew (back
right) and sister Sheila (centre). NS
Grays attribute their success to their loyal and dedicated staff and customers. NS
Recycling is a piece of
cake for family business
The sorting belt at the plant. NS
Advertising Feature
Tim e to
Recycle!
Gray’s Recycling
THE HOME-MADE cake certainly won’t go to waste
at Gray’s Recycling Service, as the family business
celebrates 10 years of helping to keep reusable
resources out of landfill.
From builders’ skips to weekly commercial trade
collections, all waste that comes into the plant at
Spey Bay is sorted to be reused or recycled.
An articulated lorry-load of baled plastic and
cardboard is sent to Yorkshire for processing every
week, adding up to around 1,300 tonnes a year. And
that’s just for starters.
Farmer Kenny Gray, his wife Lorna and brother
Stevie diversified into recycling after recognising a
local demand for builders’ skips.
“Recycling soil, sand and stone went hand-inhand with our farm work, and builders’ waste was
our main recycling resource while the construction
market was buoyant,” said Kenny. “That started to
tail off during the recent downturn. But our son,
Andrew, then saw a chance to further diversify, and
CULLEN JOINERS
[email protected]
FREE ESTIMATES
Manufacturing Workshop • All Types of Joinery
Upvc Windows, Doors and Facia
Supply and fit hardwood windows and doors or supply only
Trade Enquiries Welcome
Units 1-4 Portlong Road, Cullen
Buckie AB56 4AG
Services Ltd
rs
Celebrating 10 Yea
am
Kenny, Lorna & Their Te
ers
wish to thank all custom
st
past & present for the la
10 years of business
Tel (01542) 841339
Fax (01542) 841417
‘Happy 10th Birthday to
Gray’s Recycling Services’
Over 25 years in business
e DisPOsal neeDs
st
a
W
r
U
O
Y
ll
a
g
COVerin
ERCIAL BINS
• SKIP HIRE • COMM
• METAL DEALER
• TRADE WASTE
SHERIFFMILL
MOTOR COMPANY
ALL MAKES OF CAR, VAN AND TRUCK
Light and Heavy
24-hour Recovery Service
MOTs
Class 111 to V11
 Service  Repairs 
Maintenance 
 Air Conditioning 
Diagnostics –
EnginE
ManagEMEnt
DiEsEl
FuEl injEction
PEtrol
FuEl injEction
CONGRATULATIONS ON 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS
Kenny
Gray
with
sons
Andrew
(centre)
and
Chris.
we invested in a bin lorry which enables us to collect
a range of commercial trade and industrial recycling
materials, including plastic.”
This proved timely, as the Waste (Scotland)
Regulations came into force in January last year,
which require all businesses and organisations to
separate key materials such as paper, card, plastic,
glass and metal cans for recycling.
Andrew revealed: “We offer customers throughout
Moray weekly collections of our recycling or mixedwaste bins. These range from the standard 240-litre
wheelie bin to the 1100-litre commercial four wheel
bin. Prices are very competitive – we always make
sure our customers get a good deal.
“We also have a choice of skips, from the six-cubicyard chain-lift to a 40-cubic-yard roll-on roll-off –
suitable for everything from major house building
projects to home-owners having a clear-out.
“We deliver skips or bins to the customer’s
premises, collect them once filled, and then sort,
recycle and process all the contents.”
He added: “It is increasingly important for our
customers to know what happens to their waste, so
we work hard to keep them informed. Our family
is from a farming background, so the environment
is at the heart of everything we do. We make sure
everything that can be recycled is recycled.
“We can produce reports for our customers on
how much of their waste was recycled, together with
advice on how to increase their recycling rates.
“We also welcome companies who wish to visit
our site at Spey Bay. We recently invested in a brandnew line which enables 16 people to work at the
Small changes
are making a
FRANK OGG big difference
& SON
ABERLOUR Est 1928
SHERIFFMILL ROAD • ELGIN IV30 6UH
Tel (01343) 547121 • Web: www.sheriffmill.co.uk
35 neW street, rOtHes, aberlOUr
banFFsHire ab38 7bQ
T 01343 821999 • M 07990786004
Old Airfield, Nether Dallachy, Spey Bay IV32 7PL
E [email protected]
Independent Land Rover Specialists
Full Land Rover Diagnostics for all Models
ONE STOP SERVICE AND MOT TESTING
CLASS 4, 5 and 7
ALL MAKES OF CARS, LIGHT
COMMERCIALS and 4x4s
HEAVY COMMERCIAL SERVICING,
REPAIRS and FLEET CHECKS
Heating Engineers
Plumbing and Roofing Works also undertaken
All the plumbing you need under one roof
BRAKES, EXHAUSTS, TYRES, 4-WHEEL
ALIGNMENT, VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS FOR
ALL MAKES, AIR CONDITIONING REPAIR
and RECHARGING
‘Congratulations to lorna, Kenny and
their team on 10 years in business’
WELL DONE FOR 10 YEARS IN BUSINESS
telephone (01340) 831523
Fax (01340) 831804
e-mail: [email protected]
13-19 High Street, Aberlour
Tel (01340) 871505 • Fax (01340) 871207
www.oggsofaberlour.co.uk
HOmE-mAdE AwARd wINNINg ICE CREAm
made fresh daily on the premises
• Decorative
aggregates
• Delivered or
Collected
CRANE and ACCESS PLATFORM HIRE
Congratulations to Kenny, Lorna and Team for 10 years
in business – Wishing them every success in the future
nether Dallachy, spey bay, Fochabers iV32 7Pl
tel (01343) 820659
OVER the past 10 years, Grays Recycling Services
has seen dramatic changes...and not just because
of the change in waste regulations.
Kennyrevealed:“SincetheScottishGovernment
placed a charge on single-use plastic bags last
October, we have seen a big reduction on the belt
at the plant. It might seem trivial, but that small
change has made an incredible difference.
“As well as the reduction in waste, we have
definitely seen a change in general awareness and
attitude when it comes to recycling. We have seen
an increase in the number of businesses wanting to
recycle more – for the sake of the environment.”
The business began in 2005 with just three staff.
“We now have 22 on our team,” Kenny said,
“including our sons Andrew and Christopher
full-time, and Robert on a part-time basis. My
sister, Sheila, helped in the office at the start;
my brother, Stevie, runs the family farm but also
takes a keen interest in the recycling plant, and
my mum, Annie, comes down to the sorting plant
every Saturday with pancakes!
“Most of the team have been with us for nine
years. We do like to hold on to our staff. We have
been lucky to have such loyal and dedicated
people on our team. If we didn’t have them, we
wouldn’t have anything.”
A. J. RENNIE
BUILDER
All the best to all at
Gray’s Recycling Services
QUARRIES LTD
• Ready Mix
Concrete
• Quarry
Products
sorting belt at the same time.”
A magnet picks metal off the line as the team
carefully picks through the rest of the waste, sorting
and separating materials for further processing.
In the yard, piles of plaster, wood and metal are
extracted from the skips collected from throughout
Moray and Aberdeenshire.
Kenny said: “When we first started in 2005, we
recycled 83 per cent of all collected waste. Now
we recycle up to 91 per cent. That’s the equivalent
of 145 tonnes of waste no longer going to landfill.
With landfill tax set to increase this April – which we
believe is a good thing – it is more important than
ever to recycle as much as possible.
“We do actually recycle 100 per cent of all stones,
soil, sand, concrete and other inert waste, here at
our site. We screen and crush it, then sell the product
back to building and engineering firms. This service
was one of the reasons we were given the contract
for Elgin Academy. All of the inert waste from the
demolition of the old building was recycled here
and turned into aggregate and used for car parking
base.”
The flexible, tailored service offered at Grays
has attracted a wide range of customers, including
the RAF, local councils, house builders, shops and
offices from Forres to Keith, distilleries throughout
Moray, coffee shop chains and blacksmiths.
“We have been very fortunate with the people
we work with,” said Kenny. “Our customers are
incredibly loyal, and so many have stuck with us
from the beginning – through both good and tougher
times.
“If there is an increase in landfill tax, we take time
to visit our customers and explain the reasons for
this. Many of our customers say they really appreciate
that personal approach.”
Discover how you can improve your recycling
rates. Call Gray’s Recycling Services on 01343 821999
or e-mail: [email protected]
Fantastic Array of 26 flavours of Ice Cream and Sorbets
Ice Cream Cakes for All Occasions
Coffee Shop with all Home-made Scones and Cakes
 POP IN TO SEE OUR VALENTINE SPECIALS 
Sheila and her Team wish to congratulate Grays Recycling
Services on 10 Years – ‘1st Class Service, Simply The Best’
33/35 High Street, Fochabers IV32 7DX
01343 829128
We Offer:
• Traditionally Built and Kit Built
Houses and Bungalows
• Commercial Farm Buildings and Sheds
• Complete packages from start to finish
• Pre-cast sales from our yard
• Various building materials at our yard
Further details from
A. J. RENNIE
INVERBOYNDIE INDUSTRIAL
ESTATE, BANFF
Tel (01261) 818666 • Fax (01261) 818777
Mobile 07831 834878
E-mail: [email protected]
“We do
like to
hold on
to our
staff. We
have been
lucky to
have such
loyal and
dedicated
people
on our
team. If we
didn’t have
them, we
wouldn’t
have
anything.”
Kenny Gray