Waste management is an issue which has come to the fore in recent times,with heightened environmental awareness and greater enforcement of environmental regulations compelling businesses to adopt more sustainable practices as part of their operations. Thats where Mullingar-based Soltec (Ireland) Ltd, which is the only Solvent Hazardous waste company in Ireland, can lend its expertise. Since its establishment 14 years ago, Soltec (Ireland) Ltd has prided itself on being the only hazardous waste recycling company based in Ireland. Part of the Cortec Group, Soltec operates from a state-of-the-art recycling centre in Mullingar Business Park (formerly Lynn Industrial Estate), and was set up by local man Michael Corcoran to specialise in the recovery of waste solvent. The company has experienced significant growth over the years and now employs a staff of 10. Soltec holds an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) licence and is an ISO 9001:2000 accredited company. Last year, it recycled over 2 million litres of solvent which were sold back to the Irish and overseas markets. Soltec is unique in its operation in that it can recover customers waste solvent and recycle it back to its specification at a fraction of the purchase price of virgin solvent. In recent years, as legislation tightened, Soltec has expanded its operation to include solid waste such as oily rags, waste paint tins spray, booth filters etc. Solid waste is exported to Belgium and is recovered as a fuel in cement kilns. Soltec offers its customers full traceability from C1 forms, labels, waste collection permits and certificates of disposal. The companys philosophy is to help customers reduce waste on site and to see its waste as a raw material for recycling. Soltec supplies a full range of recycling equipment such as can crushers, gun wash machines, parts washers and cardboard compactors. Waste management has become a hot topic in the past few years and we are pleased to be able to offer a vital services for our cu stomers, which range from pharmaceutical to manufacturing companies," Michael says. "While we collect all types of hazardous waste, our core business involves the recovery of waste solvent. These are taken back to our plant where they are recycled into standard paint thinners. The recycled product is sold on to various customers throughout Ireland, while there is also a large market for them in the UK and Europe. In 2007, sales of thinners were up 50 per cent on the previous year, so business is booming at the moment. In 2005, Soltec implemented a quality system to provide its customers with the most up-to-date products and services available. The company is committed to the supply of services and products to a level of quality that is consistently improving. In order to improve this, a quality assurance programme based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard was introduced. The Soltec management provides a forum to identify and review quality objectives. All staff have access to this quality policy and its contents are communicated as part of induction training. Soltec has implemented controls in compliance with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, and maintains these controls under Licence Number 115/1. As well as holding an EPA licence, the company also holds waste permit licences for Leinster East and Meath, Mayo, Limerick, Offaly and Kildare County Councils. The quality assurance programme is subject to constant monitoring. The companys continued success is based on the commitment of its staff to work with their customers and listen to their needs. Soltec has implemented a policy where customers and their needs are its number one priority. The types of waste collected, recovered and recycled by Soltec are: waste solvent, paint, rag waste, spray suits, masks, glues and adhesives and oil filters. The company also provides a waste management consultancy free of charge. Michael is a keen GAA fan and attends as many Westmeath football games as possible. His support for the Westmeath footballers is underlined in the fact that he is a patron of the Westmeath Football Supporters Group annual draw. Like most followers of the team, he was disappointed with the Lake Countys performances in 2007 when they suffered championship defeats to both Longford and Donegal. The All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Donegal made for a frustrating end to a year which had started so promisingly with wins over Laois, Down and Derry in the first three rounds in Division 1B of the National League. "We seem to have lost our way a bit since we won the Leinster championship in 2004," he says. "The same buzz doesn't seem to be there anymore. Losing to Longford in the Leinster championship was a big blow, especially after the team had been so far ahead at half-time. But in fairness to them, they bounced back well with a big win over the same opposition in the qualifiers before going under to Donegal. I wouldn't be too critical of the players because its easy to forget the huge commitment they give. Before people give out about a player, they should stop to think of the huge sacrifices that player makes in order to play for his county. Michael is a great admirer of Luke Dempsey, who experienced mixed fortunes against his former charges as Longford manager last year. "I'd love to see Luke involved with Westmeath in some capacity again. I know he's over Longford at the moment, but every effort should be made to bring him back to Westmeath when he's finished there. He led Westmeath to their only All-Ireland minor and under 21 titles and laid the foundations for the success Paidi O Se enjoyed with the team in 2004. He has huge respect in Westmeath and I hope he'll be back with us before too long." Corcoran lives just a mile from the Shandonagh GAA grounds in Ballinea, and also keeps a close eye on their progress. Last year, the navy and sky blues reached the intermediate championship final for the first time in their history, only to succumb to underdogs Ballinagore in the final. No doubt, Shandonagh are still haunted by their wastefulness in that decider, but if they can learn from the experience, there is no reason why they shouldn't be able to make amends in 2008. Soltec (Ireland Ltd) is located in Zone A Mullingar Business Park, Mullingar. For more information, telephone 044-9335133 or fax 044-9345248. Alternatively, you can log onto the Soltec website www.soltec.ie Tweet

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