IN PICTURES: Behind the scenes at one of the UK's leading shotgun cartridge recyclers in Scarborough

H & M Waste Management was set up during the first national lockdown in 2020 by friends Edward Medforth and Henry Harrison in East Lutton and Thixendale.

The pair, both 27-year-old sons of farmers, were looking for a sustainable and cost-effective way to recycle spent shotgun cartridges.

Using a processing line they designed themselves, the duo is now able to recycle spent shotgun cartridges from across the country.

The plastic from these is then remade into new products such as pipes, garden furniture, and more.

Three years on, H&M has become a UK leader in spent shotgun cartridge recycling.

Demand for the company’s services grew so rapidly that Edward and Henry found themselves in need of a larger processing facility.

An opportunity arose when local skip hire company Murray Browns came onto the market.

The yard was already a licensed waste management site, making it perfect for Edward and Henry’s business needs. They decided to take the plunge and moved their operations to the site at Flixton.

The young entrepreneurs now recycle not only shotgun cartridges, but also other plastic materials including livestock slats, supermarket crates, wheelie bins, and road barriers.

H&M also specialises in recycling rigid plastics from skip and waste management companies, turning plastic waste into new products.

By September 2024, they had recycled more than 160 million cartridges, avoiding 1,404 tonnes of waste from being sent to landfill.

With the addition of their new facility, the company is now offers skip hire solutions for commercial, industrial, and domestic waste disposal, with skips available for clearing general waste, plasterboard, wood, plastic, soil, rubble, glass, farm waste, and may other items.

To find out more about the company visit: https://handmrecycling.co.uk/ or for H&M Skip Hire visit https://handmskips.co.uk/.