As 2015 draws to a close, we wanted to take a look back on what has been another busy and successful year for RPS.
The last 12 months have seen us win significant contracts working with some well-known companies, earn recognition for excelling on a variety of services, developing our site and celebrate 13 years in business to name but a few.
Our biggest contracts of 2015 have seen RPS starting to work with multi-million pound retailers where we have implemented site pallet collections from their UK distribution centres. We have also implemented collection services for national suppliers Selco Builders Warehouses.
In September, RPS started to collect from 26 Selco BW sites on a weekly basis. RPS responsibly recycles the wooden packaging and aims to look for reuse options for reusable pallets. We have been able to offer a regular and reliable collection service to ensure the sites manage waste and keep it to a minimum. This process has been set up in conjunction with our partner PR Pallets. As well as collecting used pallets, we also collect bales of cardboard and plastic which means Selco receives environmental and economic benefits through reduced waste skip exchanges and effectively applying the waste hierarchy to encourage reuse and recycling.
Always looking at how we can improve our services and RPS as a company on the whole, we started the year with an upgrade of our FIBC inspection and cleaning process. New enclosures were erected around the cleaning machines in order to reduce dust and improve inspection techniques. With the introduction of RPS collecting more FIBCs from Europe, additional warehouse space was erected to store the sorted and inspected bags.
However, this was the merely the start of a much bigger project for the RPS site and one which will continue into the New Year. This month we started working on a new layout which will see the creation of a one way system and ensure a better flow through the site. We have seen vast improvements in storage over the last 12 months and we have also made sure loading and offloading facilities are more efficient than they have ever been before. 
Gas has not been used on the RPS site since April 2014, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and allowing us to utilise wood waste as a fuel. This is one aspect we are extremely proud of, so we were delighted to be approved as a self-supplier on the Biomass Supplier’s List in October. We received approval following new sustainability criteria introduced by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) that went into effect on October 5th.
This success was swiftly followed by another, as RPS received great recognition during our ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001 annual audit. These audits ensure our integrated Health, Safety and Environmental Management System is run to the highest standard.
Not only did RPS meet the standards, but keeping with our strong commitment to health, safety and environmental sustainability, our system and its operation left the auditor extremely impressed, commenting that the RPS HS&E Management System was “administered to a very high level.”
In August, we celebrated 13 years in business and also welcomed our seventh employee to join the RPS team in 2015. RPS secured a fulltime fork lift truck driver position for the latest employee after he successfully completed a one year apprenticeship with the company.
As well as being a great local employer, RPS prides itself on its community links. This year we once again sponsored the Stokesley Charity Bike Ride in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care. The event, which took place in May, was a huge success and raised £5605 for local support for Macmillan CC at James Cook South Tees Hospital. We also continued to show our support to Stokesley Hockey Club as sponsors of its first junior team – which we have been since 2012. We love being able to contribute to a healthy and vibrant local club that continues to demonstrate the strong commitment of those involved and attract youngsters in the community to hockey. 
Keeping with wanting to help the Teesside community wherever possible, following the devastating closure of Redcar’s SSI steelworks, RPS applied to TVU Tees Valley Jobs & Skills Investment Scheme, to help find employment for SSI workers who had been made redundant. Having been approved, we are currently performing interviews to enrol a new forklift truck driver and a warehouse operative. We look forward to starting the New Year by welcoming new members of staff to our already fantastic team.
RPS would also like to thank all of its clients, associates and employees for a fantastic year and we look forward to working with each and every one of you in 2016.
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and wish you all the best for the New Year!
