Mid Devon Community Recycling (MDCR) in the United Kingdom has pledged to donate money to a tree planting charity for every tonne that the community recycling enterprise fails to recycle.
The company, which collects thousands of tonnes of recyclables every year from Devon households and businesses, says it is “enjoying sustained growth with its innovative social enterprise model despite the downturn.”
In a news release, the company says it is so confident in its recycling efforts that it has pledged to give away £1 to charity for every tonne of material it sends to the landfill.
“We’ve designed a unique method of sorting recyclable materials which ensures that we end up with a really high quality product,” says Ken Orchard, chief executive of Mid Devon Community Recycling. “Despite the current recession we’ve had no difficulty selling materials and we’re continuing our tradition of sending only tiny fractions to landfill.”
MDCR says it has chosen Moor Trees, a Devon-based woodland charity, as the recipient of any donations. “We are delighted to work with MDCR in this way and we will use their donations to continue our work of collecting local seed to grow local provenance trees in our woodlands,” says Eleanor Davis, operations manager of Moor Trees.
Mid Devon Community Recycling was formed as a voluntary, environmental campaign group in 1992 and entered into its business venture in 1996. The company now employs about 40 people, assisted by a team of 11 regular volunteers, and operates a fleet of twelve trucks.
MDCR offers a kerbside collection to every house in the Mid Devon District and over 600 businesses throughout Devon. MDCR recycled more than 6,000 tonnes of material in 2008.