In case you missed our announcement on 1st June 2024, Aasvogel has now rebranded to join the McCarthy Marland group. Aasvogel has been a major part of the McCarthy business for over two years, offering complete waste management solutions across Oxfordshire. This rebrand allows us to bring everything together and serve even more customers across the south-west.

We caught up with Alex Marland, Director of McCarthy, to discuss how this rebrand will allow McCarthy Marland to further dominate the waste management space in Oxfordshire…

How did McCarthy Marland come to the decision to rebrand Aasvogel?

Brand awareness is key to business growth and market presence in the ever-changing waste management industry; it makes better business sense to serve our customers through one brand rather than several. The McCarthy Marland brand is well-known across the south-west, with Oxford being on the edge of our service area. Bringing Aasvogel into the McCarthy Marland brand was an ideal way of allowing us to extend our innovative waste management solutions to all major areas within Oxfordshire.

How will this rebrand alter the structure of the business?

The McCarthy Marland branding is being rolled out across all areas of the Oxfordshire business. Our vehicles are being rebranded as we speak, and all our Oxfordshire recycling centre staff are being issued with new branded workwear. All phone calls to our Oxfordshire site are now being answered as McCarthy Marland, and all documentation has been altered to comply with our brand guidelines.

This means that customers looking for waste management services in Oxfordshire can expect the same level of consistent quality service as our other sites across Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and Somerton.

Which services will McCarthy Marland be offering to the Oxfordshire district?

All services offered under the original Aasvogel brand, including skip hire, roll-on roll-off skip hire, aggregates, and grabber/tipper hire, will continue to be offered across the Oxfordshire district. However, we have now also introduced our wheeled bin service to Oxfordshire customers, including 240L, 660L and 1100L recycling and recovery collections. In the future, we hope to expand our commercial and industrial service offering into the district, including waste compactors and balers.

How will the Aasvogel rebrand enable McCarthy Marland to grow?

Whilst we’ve covered the Oxfordshire area for some time via Aasvogel, this rebrand will help to further increase local awareness of McCarthy Marland across the south-west. Our existing customers can now clearly see that we are servicing the Oxfordshire area, offering solutions that are available to them as and when needed. We can also reach new commercial and residential customers in the area who may be looking for a new waste management partner.

If you’re looking for a responsible waste management partner in Oxfordshire, please get in touch with one of our friendly team members today. We look forward to hearing from you!

We’re delighted to announce that today, Aasvogel Skip Hire rebrands to McCarthy Marland! 

Aasvogel has now been a part of the McCarthy business for two years, offering waste management solutions across all major areas of  Oxfordshire, including Wantage, Didcot, Abingdon, Faringdon, Newbury, Hungerford, Oxford and Witney. The rebrand brings everything together, providing a clearer and more cohesive service, and giving our customers access to a one-stop shop, regardless of geographical location. 

Our Oxfordshire Recycling Centre

Our Oxfordshire recycling centre can be found in Wantage, and hosts a fleet of modern vehicles which will be undergoing rebranding over the coming weeks. 

The recycling centre is also home to a dedicated team of people who are passionate about minimising the amount of waste sent to landfill and sustaining our environment for many years to come, with the site achieving an average recycle rate of 95%.

Responsible & Reliable Waste Management Solutions Across Oxfordshire

Whilst we’ve covered the Oxfordshire area for some time via the Aasvogel brand, this rebrand will really add value to McCarthy Marland, increasing local awareness across the south-west. 

Whether you’re looking for a fully integrated waste management solution or a single skip or wheeled bin hire, McCarthy can help. We even offer next day skip hire services for those last-minute jobs, and can help provide useful information on skip permits, hazardous waste and much more.

We hope you’re as excited about the rebrand as we are! If you’re looking for a responsible waste management partner in Oxfordshire, feel free to get in touch via customerservices@mccarthymarland.co.uk or call our Oxford recycling centre on 01235 760555.

Toxic Waste! Is it a real problem – or just in films?

Almost everyone has come across a toxic waste, ‘survival of the fittest’ style blockbuster movie, the ones that are sometimes so unrealistic that you could never believe it would occur. Yet, equally, make you wonder just how much we truly know about hazardous waste disposal and what could happen next. 

Memorable movie moments that made us think twice 

The Simpsons are well-known for their ‘prediction’ conspiracies. Radioactive waste is regularly shown around Springfield, and the unappealing vibrant green liquid is often portrayed in leaking barrels marked with the Radioactive symbol.

In line with the characteristics of ‘Mr Burns’, it comes as no surprise that he is committing malfeasance crimes by wrongful disposals. There has been plenty of toxic waste focused storylines in line with this, including the terribly polluted river which caused a new breed of fish to mutate. 

Mutant, the 1984 eco-horror is about two brothers who discover that the residents of a small southern town are becoming infected by a form of toxic waste, turning them into blood-ravenous zombies. Can you imagine the fear? The anxiety of the unknown? 

It’s not just in the movies…

There is some truth to what we are unsure of. In the summer of 1991, Middletown High School, 70 miles north of Manhattan, was given a handful of video cameras. The expectation was to train Fred Iseeks, a popular English teacher’s students in film-making and media production, using local subjects as a starting point. What was supposed to be a casual documentary about local life, somehow turned into an investigative journalism unit.

The project came to a head a whopping six years later in 1997, students passing through Isseks’ high school class would film, edit, and release a feature-length documentary that would eventually uncover and expose a generation’s worth of illegal, mob-connected dumping of toxic materials in their part of New York state. The documentary picked up a huge political stem and is a prime example of how a blockbuster movie would begin.

What is toxic waste?

Toxic waste is classed as a chemical waste material that can cause death or dangerous injuries. Waste is considered toxic if it is poisonous, explosive, mutagenic, radioactive, teratogenic (birth defects) or even carcinogenic (causing cancer). Poisoning occurs when toxic waste is ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin. 

What waste is considered ‘toxic’?

From what might be the seemingly less invasive kind of toxic waste in everyday life, such as pesticides, paint, car oil and even old batteries, you will find that they are just as reactive and corrosive as the more fear-mongering kind you see in films today. 

Waste is classed as ‘hazardous’ under environmental legislation when it contains properties that might cause harm to humans or the environment. This does not always mean that an instant risk to human health is going to occur, but some toxic waste can cause terrible consequences. 

Is your waste hazardous?

Examples include:

• Batteries
• Asbestos 
• Pesticides
• Chemicals, such as brake fluid or print toner
• Home electronics such as fridges or freezers
• Car oil

Common hazard waste disposal

The removal of toxic waste is different in each circumstance. With common hazardous waste and items that are difficult to dispose of, there is a more advanced approach necessary. 

Hazardous waste cannot be neglected or sent to landfill like normal waste. It must go through an efficient process and procedures to ensure that it will not have the ability to cause damage or serious harm to humans, animals and to our environment. 

Waste disposal – leave it to the experts

It is important to know that you should not dispose of your own hazardous waste unless you are qualified to do so and have the necessary on-site facilities. Having an understanding of what is hazardous and what is ordinary waste is key to staying safe.

Toxic waste is only permitted to be disposed of at authorised sites. Specialists in waste management, like McCarthy, can transport hazardous waste to the correct facilities for processing.

Going above and beyond – recycling hazardous waste 

Thankfully, despite the fear of toxic waste, it is perfectly achievable to recycle many toxic materials, which, in turn, reduces the amount of hazardous waste ending up in landfills. Many recycling facilities will accept certain types of hazardous waste, so it is worth doing your research. 

Toxic waste disposal can be challenging when you have to consider all safety precautions. However, you must remember that no matter how tough it can seem to comply, working with these procedures will ensure that humans and the environment can stay safe and unharmed. It doesn’t have to be difficult, toxic waste is everywhere, but with the support from McCarthy, our professional services can help keep you protected. 

At McCarthy, we offer comprehensive hazardous waste and technical solutions that keep you compliant with legislation and deliver innovative disposal solutions, competitive prices and excellent service.