Steve Whettingsteel is the founder and Group Chief Executive of Krysteline, which also manufactures its glass processing machines in East Dorset for export.
Island contracts
He said: “St. Pierre and Miquelon are one of many island communities benefiting from Krysteline’s glass recycling technology.
“Others include Bere Island, the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey, the Falkland Islands, Iceland, Isle of Aran, Isle of Coll, the Isles of Scilly, Lundy Island, Mauritius, Malta and the Netherlands Antilles".
“These islands are growing into self-sustainable, greener environments, using our technology to reduce the cost of waste exports because the cullet is used locally for multiple applications, such as drainage and pipe bedding for new infrastructure projects and homes.”
Returns on investment
Steve added: “Customers are seeing a return on investment with our equipment and annual operating costs. For example, Guernsey’s return on investment came within 10 months and doesn’t include the revenue generated from selling the glass for aggregate.”
In a separate business development, Krysteline is converting container glass into sands for construction at Macau, the Chinese gambling island which attracts 30 million visitors annually.
In St Helena, the most isolated island archipelago in the world, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the firm’s glass processing machines create cullet for reuse on the island, including for exterior concrete furniture and flowerpots.
Economic recovery and reuse
Across the globe Krysteline’s Implosion technology is used to turn waste glass into new glass products of all types; glass cullet for new glass containers as well as sands and powders for abrasives, concrete, cement, aggregates, lightweight foam glass and silicon fertilizer, to name just a few.
Krysteline’s strategy focuses on the cost-effective recovery of all glass collected, no matter its collection method or location, by identifying suitable end markets based on local needs and requirements.
Doubling workspace
The company currently has a four-person team at serviced office provider Ocean Village Innovation Centre and, due to business growth, is now doubling the size of its office.
Stephen Deller, Centre Manager, said: “Krysteline is the only recycling equipment company in the world to be active on all five continents and, thanks to continued expansion with contracts at islands across the globe, is scaling up the flexible workspace here at Ocean Village Innovation Centre".
“The company is targeting the 60% of the world’s glass that is currently not being recycled; remote islands are always cost-effective markets due to their high export costs and where there is no room or desire for landfill".
Global operation
“We are incredibly proud to host the nerve centre to a global operation which is doing so much good for the environment through innovation and reuse technology.”
Meanwhile, with 20-plus years of experience in delivering glass recycling solutions across the globe, Steve has been appointed as an Export Champion by the Department of International Trade. He will use his knowledge and experience to encourage and inspire other UK businesses to grow through export.
Ocean Village Innovation Centre, which has 30,000 sq ft of serviced offices and meeting rooms, is run by Oxford Innovation on behalf of the building’s private owner.
To find out how your company could benefit from OVIC’s ecosystem of entrepreneurs and serviced office support, please contact Stephen on 023 8038 1920 or email s.deller@oxin.co.uk Web: www.oxin.co.uk/ovic
