CAUDA was set up in 2012 to provide unique recycling solutions to Scottish businesses. Stephen Green has a background in waste management and says more of the country’s businesses are becoming aware of the importance of protecting the environment.

Name: Stephen Green

Age: 48

Position: Consultant

WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CALLED?

Cauda

WHERE IS IT BASED?

Cumbernauld

WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?

THE company that owns Cauda is well established within the resource management sector – but it couldn’t find a waste management company to deliver the specific services required by its customers in Scotland so Cauda was set up by Graeme Meldrum. I used to work with Graeme in clinical waste. I ran an AD [anaerobic digestion] plant for five years and I worked for Veolia – the biggest waste company in the world – twice.

One of the key aspects of Cauda is that it is a business with a social conscience which looks to create a positive impact where it can. We currently employ two ex-offenders. Everyone deserves a second chance and it is nice to give something back. I have been impressed by their work ethic.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

SMES who have a lot of knowledge and expertise. I’m a great believer in thinking outside the box. An example is food in glass – nowhere in Scotland can deal with it in a satisfactory manner. If a jar breaks in a supermarket it can’t go on the shelf and most supermarkets have zero landfill targets. I’m working with a plant in Yorkshire to deal with this challenge and create a tailored solution.

Businesses are getting more interested in different ways of recycling and saving money. We work with Vegware which supports a full-circle economy – it provides compositable cups, plates and glasses to the end user and we provide a specialised solution to dispose of the product at the end of life, which ensures the product is composted as it was designed to be. More businesses are using compositable products now.

The National:

We also work with Revive Eco [which tackles coffee waste], it is an innovative start-up business that we partner with so their customers receive a truly local, personalised service. We process the waste coffee grounds here at our site. These two businesses work hand-in-hand as the Vegware product range is a good fit for businesses who sell coffee .

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?

WE listen to what the customer wants. We can do early or late collection or a certain type of bin or service.

We can adapt our service for the customer instead of the customer adapting to our service. We’re small enough to adapt.

We are different to other waste companies as we offer a personal service – our main advantage is that we are so close to the city centre and can be in Edinburgh or Glasgow at 6.30am in the morning.

We have had fantastic feedback. Lots of businesses say their waste strategies have improved. It is not down to one individual person – it’s a team effort between our 12 employees.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?

TRYING to compete with the larger waste management companies who make promises to customers they can’t keep.

For example, we have a customer who uses Vegware and a national company said the Vegware can go in food waste bins, but it won’t break down in that way. We’re trying to show we’re an honest, hardworking business trying to compete with bigger companies.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

EVERY day is different with new challenges, new businesses to work with and new customers.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?

WE will hopefully be a lot bigger than where we are now and although the team will undoubtedly be much larger we will remain true to our core values.

We will remain in Scotland and grow organically. We want steady year-on-year growth so we can maintain our focus on quality and service. People buy from people, so that’s what sets us apart from the bigger companies. What the bigger companies have in service scale they lack in personalised customer service.