Recycled scrap metal is boosting the circular economy in Mayo
By Tom Gillespie
RECYCLING waste metal is not a waste of time for a trusted Castlebar provider of top-quality waste metal recycling solutions and engineering services.
Jackson Metal Recycling and Engineering specialises in three different sectors, waste metal recycling, the manufacture of sewage vent columns, as well as their long-established welding and engineering supplies store.
Today, the company operates from its own purpose-built factory of 30,000 square foot at Moneen Road, Castlebar.
The company was founded by Stanley Jackson in 1992 where he operated from a rented unit at the Castlebar Bacon Factory site. Four years later he moved to their existing plant at Moneen.
With decades of expertise, they are committed to sustainability, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
Stanley’s daughter, Ava Jackson, recalled that for many years they operated as Jackson Engineering, where the business focus was steel fabrication for the construction industry.
She said: "That was our main business for many years. However, following the recession there was a downturn in the demand in the construction industry. To diversify the business, Stanley came up with the idea to move into the waste metal recycling industry, which over the last 15 years has become one of the core parts of our business.
“Although metal recycling is now one of our primary focuses, we are still a part of the engineering sector in the form of our sewage vent shafts and engineering supplies store.”
She focused on the sewage vent shafts, explaining: “You would walk past them thinking they are lamp posts, but these are CE certified vertical pipes that eliminate bad odours from sewage systems while also fitting into the aesthetic of the area.
“We manufacture and supply them across Ireland as well as to parts of the UK and Europe. It is nice that we still operate within the company's roots of engineering.
“The retail store is long established in Moneen, where customers can get their rent-free welding gas, imperial and metric nuts and bolts, trailer accessories, and a range of other welding and engineering supplies. There is also a personal element to the store, as Ivan and Brendan are always very happy to advise customers on the best course of action to find a solution to their problem.”
Ava continued: "As one of the main parts of our business is metal recycling, from a marketing point of view, we like to highlight to customers that we recycle both ferrous (iron and steel) and non-ferrous (aluminium, copper, lead) metals, as well as car batteries - you can recycle while also getting paid for it.
“Also, we are an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF) for end-of-life vehicles - so when you recycle your car with us you are issued with a certificate of destruction so you can be sure all your legal responsibility to the vehicle is at an end.
“We also offer collection services, as well as customers bringing their scrap metal to our facility. We have our purpose-built weighbridge here where we can determine the weight of a customer’s scrap metal and then they are paid depending on the weight and the type of metal.”
She continued: “Metal recycling is a very exciting industry. There is a big focus now on the circular economy, so metal comes into that. There is an increased focus on using recycled metal rather than mined as it saves so much harmful emissions - metal can be infinitely used.”
Ava, who just finished her undergraduate studies at DCU in International Business and German, has been working with her parents, Stanley and Irene, since 2022.
Her brother, Carl, is set to return from Australia after a gap year in June.
She added: “Carl has been working here since he was 14. During Covid he stepped up a lot. For a lot of people Covid was a quiet time but we were very busy as we were recognised as an essential service. It was only family working then - Stanley, Irene and Carl.
“We are looking forward to having Carl back as we are awaiting the arrival of a new collection lorry, which he will be eager to get driving. Stanley is the only person who goes out to collect now and naturally as the boss, it is difficult for him to be everywhere. He does very long days, so it will be great to have two lorries on the road collecting.
“The summer is always very busy for us so it will be helpful to have the double collections coming in.”
Ava and her mother, Irene, look after the administration side of the business and she admitted: “One of the greatest challenges is all the paperwork and ensuring compliance to all of today’s regulations. It is a small business, and it is just me and Irene who do the admin.
“While I am finishing my studies, most of the admin work does fall to Irene as well as being on the reception counter.”
Ava said: “Since Covid business has picked up a lot as people have become more aware of our metal recycling. In October of last year, we purchased a brand-new Atlas material handling machine from Germany which will be very helpful for processing waste metal efficiently in our yard.”
She explained: “We also have a new end-of-life vehicle depollution system installed over the last year. This involves getting all the waste fluids out of the cars - petrol, diesel, windscreen wash, engine oil, etc., to be properly disposed of.
“We also have a ‘jaws of steel’, a shears that can cut into any type of metal, videos of which can be seen on our social media accounts. The more metal is broken down and segregated from the other types of metal, the easier it is to recycle.
“With decades of expertise, we are committed to sustainability, innovation and customer satisfaction. Whether you're looking for eco-friendly recycling solutions or dependable engineering services, Jackson Metal Recycling & Engineering is your go-to partner for either domestic or commercial customers.”
Jackson Metal Recycling and Engineering can be contacted on (094) 9025240 or email info@jacksonengineers.com.
Do you have a story to tell about your business? If so, Tom Gillespie would be delighted to hear from you. Get in touch at (087) 9680780 or gillespietom49@gmail.com.