New civic recycling centre opened in Castlebar
A NEW state-of-the-art €250,000 civic recycling amenity centre has been opened in Castlebar by McGrath Waste Management at Quarrypoint Business Park, Moneenbradagh - next to the town’s Primary Health Centre, writes Tom Gillespie.
It adjoins the multi-million-euro waste transfer facility the family opened in May 2017.
Three new jobs have been created at the plant, bringing the staff numbers at McGrath Waste to 35.
The new drive-through amenity centre is the only one of its kind licensed in the region by Mayo County Council and size wise the site is probably the biggest private recycling centre in the country.
The McGrath Industrial Waste business has been successfully expanding over the last 40 years and they serve the household and commercial sectors in both the Mayo and Sligo region.
The company was founded by Paddy and Nora McGrath in 1977 and is now run by three of their children, Declan, Sinead and Ger.
The company charge an automatic €5 car gate entrance fee, €10 car and trailer or large van, and €7.50 for a small van.
There are a list of items which can be recycled for free - clean cardboard, household batteries, scrap metal, light bulbs, newsprint and paper (one bag) and waste electrical and electronically equipment (up to five items).
Managing director Declan McGrath said the civic amenity centre had been two-and-a-half years in the planning.
He said: “We are the only licensed recycling facility in Mayo to be granted a licence by Mayo County Council.
“A lot of people were ringing us from around Mayo saying they do not have enough to fill a skip but they wanted to get rid of a bed, couch or mattress. So what we have now is a pay-by-use system which is ideal for those items.
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of illegal dumping going on. The side roads, back roads and bog roads are being covered in illegal rubbish and with our facility in the heartland of Castlebar there is no reason for people to continue to dump illegally. This will also reduce the cost on the local authority who are left with the task of cleaning up such illegal dumping.”
The new facility is operated by touch screen and customers will be given a fob with their car reg which will give them a full report of their recycling activities over the year.
Declan added: “Everything is recorded in detail by the car reg. We have to report to the local authority at the end of the year as to what we are doing with the waste and where is it going. It will be all there to be seen by the authorities.
“Likewise, customers will have documentation that they have disposed of their items in a proper way.
“In the years to come there will be a lot of pressure on local authorities to do waste inspections to see what you are doing with your waste.”
He emphasised: “There is a gate fee of €5. But in that €5 you get a number of items free - five electrical items, as much cardboard and newsprint as you want, household batteries are free, as is scrap metal and light bulbs.
“There is good value there for people who do not have enough to fill a skip. There is definitely a demand for it as we have calls coming in every day wondering what will they do with an old bed or mattress.”
At the recycling site there are bays for all types of material, including domestic waste, garden waste, crockery, glass, polystyrene, textiles/clothes, toys, rubble, tiles, car tyres and carpet and lino.
Another novel service on offer at McGrath Waste is the shredding of confidential documentation.
The McGrath Civic Amenity Centre is located at Mooneenbradagh, Castlebar, F23 XR66, and can be contacted on (094) 9031610 or visit https://mcgrathwaste.ie/ for further details.
* Do you have a story to tell about your business? If so, Tom Gillespie would be delighted to hear from you. Get in touch at (087) 9680780 or gillespietom49@gmail.com.