At LondonEnergy, we’re always looking for ways to improve our operations, both financially and environmentally. Our team noticed a significant ongoing expenditure related to the rubber blades we purchased for our mobile plant which had to be replaced every three weeks. In fact, the Wembley Transfer Station alone was spending £56,000 on these blades every year. Simultaneously, we were dealing with the costs and logistics of disposing of end-of-life tyres. We saw this not just as a problem, but as a clear opportunity: what if we could turn these waste tyres into the very rubber blades we were constantly buying? This seemed like a perfect chance to both cut costs and enhance our sustainability efforts.

Our team, led by George Taylor (Site Manager) and Vaughn Rowland (Site Technician) at Wembley RRC, took on this challenge. Vaughn spearheaded the research into the machinery we would need, and together, they built a comprehensive business case that clearly showed the financial viability and environmental benefits of the idea.

The solution involved several key steps:

• Investing in the Right Machinery: We identified and acquired the necessary equipment, including water jet cutting technology, to effectively process end-of-life tyres into durable rubber blades.
• Repurposing Our Resources: We decided to use the end-of-life tyres that were already coming into our site as the primary raw material. This transformed what was once a disposal cost into a valuable input for our production.
• Developing Our Skills: We’re committed to our team’s growth, so we planned to upskill our existing staff at Wembley, training them to operate the new machinery and manufacture the blades
• A Phased Approach: We mapped out a clear implementation plan, starting with feasibility studies and investment approval, moving through procurement and setup, pilot testing, full production at Wembley, and eventually, the potential to expand our blade supply to other Waste Transfer Stations (WTSs) across the company.