KMK Metals Recycling in Tullamore is providing sponsorship to the local Cappincur hurling club. In October, 2012, the company presented a resplendent set of new jerseys to the club, much to the obvious satisfaction of both parties!

Operating out of its current location at Cappincur Industrial Estate since 1985, KMK Metals Recycling is Ireland’s premier EPA-licensed, end-of-life metals recovery facility, having been established in 1979.

KMK Metals started life recycling precious metals and electronic scrap and has expanded, developed, diversified and grown to become a proven industry leader.

The facility boasts a very strong nationwide presence, with up to 60% of Ireland’s electrical waste currently coming through its gates. Typical products treated at the facility would include household electrical appliances (televisions, fridges, washing machines etc.), office equipment, batteries and lighting equipment.

Since 2011, KMK Metals Recycling has been offering dedicated processing of smaller items. “It’s very much a manual process, which is why we employ 70 people here in Tullamore,” notes commercial manager Kai Meyer. “A lot of man power is involved in the actual recycling activity.”

Twelve new positions recycling televisions (as a consequence of the analogue – digital switch-over) were created as recently as January this year.

As well as direct employees, KMK would also generate a great deal of indirect employment through its activities, which makes it one of the most significant employers in the Tullamore region. Metals, plastics, components and other materials are extracted from the waste items and then processed for export.

Since its inception, KMK Metals Recycling has been an intrinsic part of the local community. This includes providing a lot of funds for various sponsorships, as Kai continues. “Certain individuals from our staff would be involved in various activities including weightlifting, soccer, rugby, equestrianism etc. and we have always involved ourselves in sponsorship of all of these.”

Thus the decision to lend some support to the local hurling club, by presenting them with a new set of jerseys (complete with KMK emblazoned across the chest) was a natural progression: “We want to support local teams and we are more than happy to be able to come on board and support the Cappincur hurlers,” says Kai. “We are delighted with how they are performing and we would like to take this opportunity to wish them continued success in the future.

“We see ourselves very much as a local business and we are delighted to be able to employ local people and to contribute to the local economy. The majority of our workforce would be with us a long time and we have also been able to take some new people on recently, which is obviously pleasing.”

Looking to the future, Kai is optimistic that KMK Metals Recycling will continue to go from strength to strength: “Electrical waste is very topical at the moment and it will continue to be. We are involved in the fastest-growing waste stream and we are continuously investing to make sure that we remain at the forefront of the waste recycling industry here in Ireland.”
And the fact that the work at KMK Metals Recycling is so labour-intensive is great news for the people of Cappincur and Tullamore in these difficult economic times!

KMK Metals Recycling is a business division within KMK Metals that’s dedicated to the handling, processing and management of hazardous and non-hazardous materials that contain metals, such as precious metals, automotive batteries, filter cakes and extractor dusts.
Equipped for the transport and storage of both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, KMK Metals Recycling has a dangerous goods safety adviser and ADR trained drivers on site.

There are three business divisions within the KMK brand: KMK Metals Recycling is licensed to handle, store and treat all hazardous and non hazardous metals containing waste; WEEE Recycle offers a secure, fully compliant and traceable recycling service for all electrical equipment and electronic goods: and Accumulator Recycling is a nationwide battery collection and battery recycling service for waste batteries.