Executive Report:

The rush to recycle

With new on-site waste management regulations now in place, Digbits expects a sharp increase in demand for its products. Alan Guthrie reports.

The introduction of new legislation has proved to be a key driver of demand for hired equipment, in areas such as work at height and HAV. The same will hold true for regulations governing the recycling and re-use of materials on construction sites, according to the mobile crushing machinery manufacturer, Digbits. Last month, DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) introduced the need for construction sites in England to devise and implement Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs), in order to reduce the amount of materials that have to be disposed of. At the same time, costs associated with dumping waste, including the aggregate levy and the landfill tax, are increasing. The aim is to stabilise waste production at 2008 levels within four years, in line with an EU Directive on recycling and waste management.

“We are extraordinarily busy,” says Digbits Managing Director, Marcus Clay. “It is, perhaps, simply human nature that end users put off until the last moment making any changes to working practices, but the need for an SWMP is now mandatory for any construction project worth more than £300,000. When we exhibited at the Executive Hire Show in February, we spoke to many hirers who could see the potential of our products, and demand from their customers will rise dramatically now that the regulations have come into effect.”

Severe action taken

Local authorities and the Environment Agency (EA) have the power to enforce SWMPs. “We know of recent cases where the EA has taken severe action against illegal fly-tipping, and there could well be similar cases to highlight non-compliance with SWMPs. Our dealers are also aware that some councils have actually begun to stipulate in their contract tender documents that hand-fed crushers should be used on site, and this is creating demand for appropriate solutions that can be hired.”

Digbits’ equipment range to meet such needs includes the Bavtrak 025 mini crusher, a 2.95 tonne machine with a 33hp Hatz diesel engine, designed to reduce concrete, rubble and reinforcing wire into variable grades of re-usable hard core. The machine has a specially developed hydrostatic twin-jaw crushing mechanism to avoid jamming, and its tracks give on-site manoeuvrability. “With a feed area of 630 x 330mm, it can handle large chunks of material, making it straightforward to operate,” states Marcus Clay. The company’s line-up also includes the Bavtrak 009, a sub-1 tonne machine suitable for domestic and light industrial sites, being able to fit through narrow spaces.

The crushing technology used in the Bavtraks is derived from Digbits’ BAV Alligator Crusher attachments for mini excavators. The company believes that the advent of SWMPs will also increase demand for such implements, along with other products in its line-up including buckets, rakes, grapples, grip talons and brooms.

Given the impact of SWMPs on the construction industry, Digbits will be exhibiting at SED later this month, the first time it has done so for several years. The Bavtrak 025 has already enjoyed success, winning the Recycling category in the SED Awards of Excellence announced in advance of the Show. “Opposite our main display we will have a demonstration area showing the Bavtrak 025 in action,
as well as a BAV 3 crusher attachment suitable for 3-9 tonne minis. We would suggest that end users who are serious about recycling can tackle most on-site tasks with four pieces of equipment: a Bavtrak 025, a BAV 3, an hydraulic hammer to break particularly hard materials, and a screening bucket that can separate soil from concrete, ready for it to be processed efficiently by the Bavtrak.”

Expanding operation

Digbits is continuing to expand its operation, and it now employs 23 people at its Rugeley headquarters. Last November it increased the size of its dedicated design and manufacturing facility, coinciding with the development of the Bavtrak 025. The company also reports growing sales of the replacement rubber tracks that it offers.

Digbits’ reach is also expanding overseas, with the recent appointment of a dealer in Italy. Rammit, a specialist distributor of demolition, excavation and recycling machinery, anticipates rapid growth in demand for Bavtrak and BAV products as contractors have to comply with new regulations in its home country to meet the European Directive. “Rammit covers the whole of Italy from its locations in Rome, Parma and Sicily,” says Marcus Clay. “We think the company was impressed by the fact that we are able to control machinery manufacture and product quality in-house, as well as operating our own design facility. We also exhibited at the Samoter construction equipment exhibition at Verona in March, and picked up several strong dealership enquiries from other European countries.

“Back in this country, all our dealers are expecting a huge increase in interest as awareness of the recycling regulations grows. Hirers should also recognise the significant opportunity this represents for them. The recycling and re-use of materials makes sense both ecologically and morally, and when you consider that disposal costs are reduced and there is less need for new materials to be bought in, it is also economically sound.” •

T 01889 503020
W www.digbits.co.uk

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