From humble beginnings, Thornton's Recycling has grown into one of Ireland's leading waste management and recycling companies. Commercial Sales Manager John Staunton explains more.

When the late Padraig Thornton established Thornton's Recycling in 1979 with his wife Carmel, he could scarcely have imagined how big and successful his company would become.
Starting out with a single bin lorry, the Collistown, Co. Meath native grew his business into one of the country's foremost waste management and recycling companies. Thornton's Recycling has an annual turnover of EUR30 million, employs over 200 people at five different locations and operates a fleet of 122 vehicles.
"The business has come a long way in 30 years," says Thornton's Commercial Sales Manager John Staunton.
"Padraig worked hard to get the business established and since his death, his family have continued to expand operations. We have a strong presence in Dublin, Meath and Kildare which are three of the most densely populated counties in Ireland, and pride ourselves on being the only company that can offer a one-stop solution to all your waste management needs."
Thornton's Recycling is headed up by Carmel Thornton, wife of the late Padraig, along with her children Paul ,Shane, and Anna Marie, who are all directors in the company (Gary Brady is managing director)
Over the years, Thornton's Recycling has invested more than EUR40 million in developing state-of-the-art recovery and recycling facilities across the entire spectrum of the waste management and recycling chain, which makes it the only company that can provide a single solution to all your waste management and recycling needs.
Thornton's is one of the most successful companies in Ireland's recycling industry, recovering over 84% of the 260,000 tonnes of dry material processed annually at its advanced materials handling and sorting facilities. The company provides recycling and waste management services for over 20,000 customers in the greater Dublin, Meath and Kildare region. Thornton's is a fully integrated waste management and recycling company with a proven track record in delivering efficient, legal and economical waste management, recovery and recycling solution for its customers.
Since its inception, the company has continuously invested in technology, processes, infrastructure and staff. It has enshrined these ideals in its Quality System which is accredited to International Standards 9001, 14001 and 18001.
"These accreditations, which are very difficult to obtain, are testament to the processes and systems we have put in place. They also mean that our customers can be assured of the best possible standards and services," explains Dubliner John, who is a supporter of Synge Street/Templeogue GAA club.
Thornton's has built up a network of recycling depots and infrastructure. These include a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at Killeen Road, Dublin 10, which is licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to handle 250,000 tonnes of material per annum; Material Recovery Facility and Civic Amenity (CA) site at Dunboyne Industrial Estate, which is licensed by the EPA to handle 50,000 tonnes of material per annum;
Composting Facility at Kilmainhamwood, Co. Meath, which is licensed by the EPA to handle 20,800 tonnes of material per annum; End of Life Vehicle (ELV) facility at Kylemore Park, Dublin 12, which is permitted to de-pollute end-of-life vehicles and abandoned cars in an environmentally friendly manner;
Confidential Shredding Facility at Parkwest Business, Dublin 12. This is a secure facility for the shredding of confidential documents; WEEE Recycling Depot at Kylemore Park, Dublin 12. This is a take-back centre for retailers that have registered with Dublin City Council for the sale disposal of WEEE products (Waste Electronics Electrical Equipment); Woodchipping facility at PDM, Kill, Co. Kildare where recycled timber is shredded and turned into a produce for re-use.
Thornton's also includes in its impressive array of services, liquid waste/ tanker collections which include; Interceptor cleaning , Drain cleaning and jetting, Septic tank cleaning/servicing ,Grease trap survey, installation and servicing ,All tank cleaning ,Bund Area cleaning/testing, Dry powder/pellet removal ,Heavy oil removal/disposal

Thornton's Recycling will continue to invest in Best Available Technology (BAT) in order to improve recycling and recovery rates. The company's objective is to divert as much material away from landfill and at the same time provide its customers with a premium service.
One of Thornton's biggest customers is the GAA. For the past number of years, the company has catered for the waste and recycling needs of Croke Park Stadium and have partnered with them to increase the levels of recycling throughout the Stadium.
Thornton's Recycling rolled out a brown (organic waste) bin to its domestic and commercial customers in Kildare. This is helping Ireland to meet its targets for the diversion of organic material from landfill, while saving customers money in the process. Thornton's customers now avail of a fortnightly black bin (waste), green bin (recyclables) and brown bin (organic/food waste) collection service. Thornton's are planning to roll out this service to it's customers in Meath in 2010
Thornton's also offer a skip hire service. Great discounts are available when you order your skip online at skip.ie
A Repak approved company, Thornton's environmental department implements rigorous environmental policies and ensures that both Thornton's and its clients meet their obligations under both EU and Irish regulations. The company has been instrumental in promoting environmental standards throughout the waste management industry through the Irish Waste Management Association (IWMA).
Thornton's Recycling has an environmentally committed track record which means you can be assured that all activities are carried out in compliance with the requirements of the Waste Management Acts, all relevant Health and Safety legislation and codes of practice. The company provides resources, training and controls to ensure that all company activities adhere to all applications of legislation.
For further information about Thornton's Recycling and the services it offers, telephone 01-6235133, email [email protected] or log onto www.thorntons-recycling.ie

- Best in class Service
- Strong Loyalty to Customers
- Hard work
- Best Technology and Equipment
- Compliance with Regulations
- ISO & EPA approved
- Cost effective solutions

Products & Services Available from Thorntons Recycling;
- Commercial & domestic skip hire
- Waste Management & Recycling Solutions
- Security Shredding "on & off" site service
- Tanker Services
- Food Waste to compost solution
- Domestic Bin collections
- End of life vehicle collection & recycling service Tweet

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