Waste King, the specialist collections, clearance and recycling company that focuses on providing a service which is highly environmentally friendly, has renewed its corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy for the forthcoming year.

“Having an active CSR strategy is extremely important for us – and for any business,” commented Glenn Currie, Waste King’s managing director. “Helping others helps to build both confidence and community – and these, along with caring for others’ welfare, are the aims of Waste King’s CSR strategy.

“In today’s challenging economic climate it’s easy to be tempted to operate on the principle of ‘take what you can get and give back as little as possible‘ – but that’s a recipe for disaster. It merely stifles the economy and prevents both social and economic progress.”

While Waste King continues its regular monthly support for Medical Detection Dogs, it has also decided to donate to the Help for Heroes charity.

In addition, its regular collections of recycled books, DVDs and music CDs, as well as recycled clothes continue to go to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Salvation Army respectively. According to the company’s managing director, Glenn Currie, these on-going collections of unwanted but recyclable items generate several tonnes of artefacts every couple of months.

In 2011, Waste King installed recycling points at its premises in the Frogmore Industrial Estate in Hemel Hempstead to help raise funds for the BHF and the Salvation Army. While many members of the public have contributed to these collections, they also receive a major boost from Waste King’s house clearance service.

Glenn commented: “Waste King’s operating ethos is to recycle as much as possible of the waste materials it collects. We guarantee to recycle at least 90 per cent of all the waste that Waste King collects but, in reality, the figure is now well over 95 per cent.

“As part of our CSR strategy, we want to promote the benefits of recycling not just in environmental terms – helpful though that is – but also in terms of directly benefiting people, through the work of the BHF and the Salvation Army,” he added. “These collection points at our premises enable people’s unwanted things to benefit those in need.”

Most clothes still have at least 70% of their useful life left when their owner disposes of them, believes the Salvation Army. The income that the Salvation Army receives from its recycling activities – including those of Waste King – helps to fund beds for the homeless, cups of tea for the thirsty and food for the hungry.

It was last year that Waste King expanded its CSR portfolio by agreeing to support the Medical Detection Dogs charity, which works with researchers, NHS Trusts and Universities, training dogs to help people with life threatening health conditions, giving these people greater independence and a higher quality of life. The dogs are taught to identify the odour changes that are associated with certain medical events. They alert their ‘owners’; bring any necessary medical supplies such as glucose and blood testing kits, and get help if necessary.

“We believe that the charity is not only doing valuable practical work in helping people with existing conditions to keep those conditions from being life threatening but it’s also involved in important research work,” said Glenn.