A RECYCLING firm is celebrating a new milestone with the arrival of a £1.1million machine which means it can extract more useable scrap metal from the products which arrive on site.

Ipswich-based waste management and recycling company S Sacker (Claydon) Ltd was able to purchase the “vital” piece of equipment with the help of £1million in funding through NatWest and its dedicated finance division, Lombard.

The 85-year-old firm previously outsourced the function. The arrival of the machine, known as a shredder residue plant, allows it to consolidate its metal shredding process and extract more useable scrap metal.

The machinery fits behind the existing fragmentiser and means that smaller pieces of metal can be salvaged from the recycling process thanks to a vibrating table, magnets and sifters.

The metal fragments are then shipped overseas and used again for the manufacturer of white goods, bicycles and cars. Bringing this process in-house will add significant turnover to the company’s growing business.

The company’s management team approached Andy Eadie and Sue Young at NatWest who in turn worked with David Flowerdew and Rachel Humberstone at Lombard for help in sourcing a capital import loan of £1m to buy the bespoke machine.

Sacker Recycling’s finance director, Chris Oliver, said: “Without NatWest and Lombard this simply couldn’t have happened. Sue and Andy have been enthusiastic and really understood how our company works. The new equipment completes our in-house recycling ability and also helps with our carbon footprint. With a company history that goes back to the 1920s, we’re excited to be right up-to-date and at the forefront of recycling technology.”

Sue Young at NatWest said: “It’s been a real pleasure to work with the team at Sacker’s Recycling. They are a truly local family-run company who had a vision to bring their whole process in-house but needed flexibility with payments. We’re thrilled to have been able to help.”