A ROAD-building and haulage business in Thirsk has since diversified into such a model of waste disposal, recycling and management that it is pitching for our Best Environmental Company of the Year.

The 30 people working at Todd Waste Management, on the Thirsk Industrial Park, have already proved that green is gold by generating an annual turnover of about £2.5 million.

They are profiting from increasing awareness that as the landfill and disposal space becomes scarcer, environmental catastrophes of "poisoned land" become more documented. It is an awareness that translates into recycling projects.

Todd Waste Management, an operating division of the 101 year old family firm FD Todd & Sons Ltd, was among the early investors into crushing and screening plants to process building and demolition waste into recycled materials, making new stone from old concrete, new soil and drainage material from inert rubbish.

Four years ago it constructed the first purpose-built recycling centre in North Yorkshire at Thirsk Industrial Park.

Now it recycles about 50,000 tonnes of waste a year which previously vanished into holes in the ground - revived material either sold directly to customers or prepared as a new raw material in manufacturing processes.