Morley Glass & Glazing’s managing director is hoping to deliver an early Christmas present to local schools and charities that support the environment.

Ian Short has pledged to donate all the money he receives for recycling glass to good causes – which could amount to £50,000 per year.

The £18m business, which employs 70 people, manufactures integral blinds – blinds that fit between the two panes of glass in windows and doors.  Working in conjunction with its glass supplier Saint-Gobain Glass – a glass crushing machine has been installed at its 50,000 sq ft premises at Leeds 27 Industrial Estate on Bruntcliff Way in Leeds.  The company already recycles its post-industrial glass, which is used in the manufacturing process, but the new machine allows them to recycle post-consumer glass – glass that has been taken out of old windows and doors that have reached the end of their life, and would normally go to landfill.

Ian Short says: “This is a win-win-win-win situation. More glass gets recycled and doesn’t go to landfill, which helps the environment.  Saint-Gobain Glass can re-use the glass to make new glass, which is a more energy efficient process. Our customers and local tradespeople can use our recycling service free of charge – saving them the cost of skips and landfill taxes.  And local schools and charities that focus on improving the environment can apply to us for a donation, which will come from the money that Saint-Gobain pays us for the recycled glass.

“We’d love to see the money used to create nature reserves, butterfly gardens, wildflower gardens, sensory gardens – even allotments in schools – anything that improves the local environment.”

Morley Glass & Glazing is no stranger to fundraising and supporting good causes. In 2018 it supported 20 charities in its 20th anniversary year, including grass roots sports clubs and dance societies to national charities and youth clubs.  The company also donated a Variety Sunshine Coach to Mill Field Primary School in Meanwood, as the result of MD Ian Short learning the Samba and taking part in (and winning) the Variety Strictly Ballroom Challenge.

Yorkshire schools and charities can apply for a donation for their environmental project by emailing greenvision@morleyglass.co.uk