Offaly and Westmeath-based metals recycling firm marks 45 years in business

A metals recycling firm which has its headquarters in Tullamore, and a second large facility in Kilbeggan, is celebrating 45 years in business this week.

KMK Metals Recycling was set up in 1979 by Kurt and Edeltraud Kyck. Having initially operated out of the family's home garage in Bettystown, Meath, the company established its headquarters in the Cappincur Industrial Estate in Tullamore in 1985.

In 2016, its operations were extended into Westmeath with the opening of its second facility on the Moate Road in Kilbeggan.

KMK Metals Recycling provides for the environmentally sound management of waste metal in all its forms, and collects approximately 80% of Ireland’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

At the time of setting up the recycling facility in Tullamore in 1985, the company employed six people.

Today that has risen to approximately 150 direct employees, while the company also contributes indirectly to local employment through contracts with local hauliers, businesses, and tradespeople.

A pivotal moment in the KMK Metals Recycling story came in 2004, when the company won the tender to manage the all-Ireland fridge recycling contract, which accelerated its expansion into consumer WEEE management.

The WEEE directive improved regulation of the collection, recycling and disposal of WEEE when it became law at European level in 2003, and it was brought into Irish law in 2005.

That year, Ireland's two compliance schemes, WEEE Ireland and the European Recycling Platform (ERP), were formed and KMK Metals Recycling was awarded contracts to collect and recycle WEEE from all around the country.

Today, KMK Metals Recycling provides extensive services including collection, sorting, treating and compliance to WEEE Ireland, the largest of the WEEE and Batteries compliance schemes in Ireland.

A further waste stream was added to the 'producer responsibility' list in 2008. With the Batteries Directive, Ireland was now required to collect and recycle household batteries from consumers.

Once more, with foresight and the support of WEEE Ireland, KMK Metals Recycling developed a collection and sorting system for household batteries.

Kurt Kyck was elected as President of the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA) in 2019, and continues to use this platform to focus on his aim of achieving a level playing field for all European WEEE recyclers and producers through a harmonised, legally-binding standard for the collection and treatment of WEEE throughout Europe.

At the International Electronics Recycling Congress in Salzburg earlier this year, Kurt was bestowed the IERC 2024 Honorary Award. He was described as a straight talker and a recognised leader who was receiving the award in recognition of a long and industrious career in the metals and WEEE recycling industry.

Speaking at a coffee morning held at KMK Metals Recycling to celebrate the milestone of 45 years in business, Kurt Kyck said, "It's amazing really when you stop to consider how far things have come in the past 45 years.

"When I compare how things were back then when we operated with an A-B telephone kiosk where you had to put the money in and push B to try and make a phone call through an operator to check if your material had made it to Germany. It was the era of telex and then we moved to fax machines.

"Fast forward to now and we are using all of the latest cutting-edge technology and even robotics.

"Thank you all very much for supporting our business. It is actually you guys, the employees, who make me really happy," he said.