Founded in 1947, Grays Waste has always been at the forefront of specialist waste collection services. Named after the founder, Peter Gray, the business was formed as an animal by-product and meat waste collection service providing services across London and The South East.
Founded by Peter Gray in Deptford, South East London. Peter Gray started by collecting and drying rabbit skins and pheasant feathers.
Myxomotisis – a highly infectious viral infection for Rabbits becomes prevalent and destroys the industry. Peter Gray begins collecting muslin cloths & butchers waste (fat & bone) for rendering. Rendering is the process in which meat waste can be turned into tallow. Tallow describes the liquid fat and meal – the dry solid residue rich in protein. Tallow is used to make soaps, detergents, candles, leather dressing and lubricants. The meal which is rich in protein could be further utilised to create pet foods.
Peter Gray became so busy that his brother Jim joins the business and forms the business Grays Bros.
Grays Bros forms a strategic partnership with the pet food industry, supplying pet food to manufacturers across the UK. The business moves from Deptford to Bermondsey and continues to grow. The business continues to diversify into new business ventures, including industrial boning, meat wholesale and general haulage. A huge quantity of used cooking oil (UCO) was being thrown away into the drainage system & landfill. Grays began to collect the oil for reprocessing into biofuels & also as an added ingredient for biodiesel. Grays became the largest UCO collector in Greater London and the South East.
Due to the significant expansion created by the collection of UCO, the business moves again to Stratford, East London. Grays continue to collect waste cooking oil and food waste for conversion into animal by-products.
Grays Waste Services is incorporated. Grays continue to grow for another 20 years.
The business ventures into refuse collection across London, purchasing their own fleet of sophisticated waste vehicles, dust carts and skips. Grays form strategic relationships with some of the UKs largest corporate companies.
With the forthcoming 2012 London Olympics & the construction of Crossrail, Grays site is compulsory purchased due to being based on the border of the Olympic Stadium. They move to Thamesmead, South East London. The third generation of the Grays family are now taking the business forward, yet continue to serve some of their original customers who have remained with them over the past 65 years.
On average each year a restaurant throws away the food equivalent in weight to a London Routemaster Bus. The main areas of wastage are preparation, stock wastage and portion sizes.
"Having the option to change our food waste collection frequency is very useful. It means we aren't overcharged for unnecessary collections."
"We had several quotes in for setting up a weekly food waste collection. Grays Waste were the lowest, and we’ve not had any issues over the last 18 months of using the service."
"Knowing that all the food waste generated by our chain of restaurants is disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way means we can feel better about doing what we can for the environment and everyone’s future. It’s good to know that Grays take the environmental aspect so seriously."
CONTACT US
Phone: 020 8317 0172
Fax: 020 8301 8230
Email: info@grayswaste.co.uk
Web: www.grayswaste.co.uk
ADDRESS
Grays Waste Services
124-126 Nathan Way
London
SE28 0AU
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