AES Waste aims for capital gain September 2009

AES Waste aims for capital gain

As one of Ireland’s largest waste management and recycling companies, Advanced Environmental Solutions services over 60,000 homes across the country’s midlands. The company’s Transport Manager, Keith Brady, spoke to Irish Trucker about what else AES has to offer and their plans to expand in the Dublin market.

Three of the fleet at AES Waste

First established in 1996 as ‘Waste Recycling Ireland’, AES has grown into a major brand in Ireland’s waste and recycling industry and was bought by the country’s leading environmentally responsible utility service provider, Bord Na Móna, in May 2007.

Operating primarily around the midlands in industrial towns such as Athlone, Portlaoise, Tullamore, Navan, Nenagh, Wexford and their home base in Naas, AES strives to be waste managers and solution providers rather than waste collectors.
New Transport Manager, Keith Brady, is a Dublin native based in the Kildare town and explains a bit about the company’s history.
“The company was started up by a group of small waste companies which got together in 1996 and grew the business through acquisition,” explained Brady.

“It was an interesting time in the development of the industry as it shifted from the old ‘hump and dump’ view of waste to one where certain waste streams were beginning to be seen as a valuable resource.”
By 2007 the company had expanded to the point where it was servicing almost 60,000 domestic households, as well as the nationwide waste management requirements of some of Ireland’s largest manufacturers, financial institutions and retail developments.

One of the tipper trucks at AES Waste Recycling

The acquisition of AES was a key element for Bord Na Móna’s strategy of diversification to Waste Management and Power Generation and followed the acquisition of Edenderry Power from EON Ltd in December 2006.
As a part of the Bord na Móna Group, AES is an important pillar of the Group’s commitment to a ‘New Contract with Nature’. Being part of the Bord na Móna Group opens up new opportunities for recovery of waste materials. In particular, Bord na Móna’s expertise and market channels in composting of biodegradable wastes and in energy recovery are key components of AES’ ambitions to minimize the use of landfill as a solution for residual waste.
With approximately 400 employees, AES is also a key employer in each of its regions. According to their Transport Manager, now they are looking to expand their direct collection footprint, as well as continuing to invest in sophisticated waste recover solutions.

The companyÕs route planner software in use

“While we have a significant presence in the Dublin commercial market, we are under-represented in other key urban markets. May of our larger customers have a nationwide presence and we are eventually going to have to replicate their locations with our own direct service capability,” said Brady.
AES carry skips and wheelie bins to accommodate waste and recycling needs for a range of customers, from the largest business to the domestic household.
The company currently supplies a range of skips and equipment to commercial users for waste disposal and recycling. Anything from Four Cubic Yard Skips to Mobile Compactors are also supplied for those jobs where physical constraints are issues. These include Crane Skips – for hoisting on building sites – Six, Eight and 12-yard skips, as well as 20-yard and 40-yard robust and versatile skips, which are suitable for rubble, and a mobile compactor that is perfect where odours and physical constraints are an issue.

AES Transport Manager, Keith Brady (left) Operations Manager, Raymond Duggan (right)

“We operate a fleet of 115 trucks across the range of standard waste vehicles. This is likely to increase in line with our direct service footprint,” Brady explained.
“All our trucks are equipped with new sat navigation systems and are top of the range to accommodate both our drivers and our customers.”
Along with skips, the company also supplies a range of wheelie bins to commercial and domestic users for waste disposal and recycling. Traditionally, AES have used "Blue Bins" for recyclables, 240 litre bins for householders and 1,100 litre bins for commercial and industrial customers.
With regards to AES’s environmental policy, the company’s website states that it “is committed to the best practices of environmental management. This is achieved by continuously improving all aspects of our operations including our waste recycling programmes, minimizing the total amount of waste going to landfill and by encouraging positive environmental values in all our employees.

AES services over 60,000 homes nationwide

“AES regard environmental protection as an essential prerequisite of all our operations and we undertake to conduct our business in a manner which protects our environment which is the environment of our customers, employees and the communities in which we live.”
Environmental policy is a top priority for AES, and copies of the company’s waste licenses can also be obtained on their website (www.aesirl.ie).
According to Brady, his employers are strict on staff following the company’s policy objectives so as the best possible results can be achieved.
Compliance with waste licenses, permits and collection permits; reviewing environmental targets; preventing pollution by continuously assessing and monitoring their environmental impact of our activities and establishing and maintain good working relationships with local and national government authorities are just some of the policies AES staff abide by to try and improve the environment.

AES operate a fleet of 115 trucks

“The objective of this company is to manage waste in a manner which maximises the segregation, reuse and recycling of materials while minimising the volume sent for disposal; this is achieved by utilising the most modern technologies, ensuring regulatory compliance and working in partnership with customers, regulators and trade organisations at international, regional and local levels,” a mission statement reads on the company’s website.
With further expansion on the cards, no doubt a waste management firm operating to Bord na Móna ethos will be welcomed in wider markets.