Meet the team: Richard McKinlay

What is your new role at WRc and what problems does it solve?

I have joined as Principal Consultant in the Waste and Resources team at WRc. This is part of the growth of the team. The W&R team carry out lots of different projects, but a big focus is the classification of waste to determine if it is hazardous, and the analysis of waste for Persistent Organic Pollutants. I have joined to bolster the teams' capabilities to deliver more of these projects, but also to help expand the offerings of WRc to support organisations in their transition to the circular economy. As an experienced process engineer with a wealth of knowledge on the separation and recycling of materials such as Shredder Residue, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and packaging, I hope to be able to support other organisation in increasing the recovery of valuable materials for a second life.

What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

I have worked in waste and recycling since I graduated from Manchester University with a masters degree in Chemical Engineering. I previously worked for a large metal and plastics recycling company where I delivered external consultancy as well as developing in-house process engineering solutions and delivering technical development projects. I have always been interested in problem solving, and waste and recycling is a relatively new industry, which means there is real scope for innovation and new developments. It is also an industry that positively impacts the environment which is very important to me.

Can you share a bit about your journey to WRc?

After graduating from university I worked on delivering research and development projects, primarily in plastic packaging recycling. Early in my career I focused a lot on flexible packaging, and was part of an Innovate UK funded project alongside companies such as Nestle, Dow and Tomra. The development work enabled me to gain insight into the recycling of plastic packaging that I was able to use in assisting with brand and retailers in designing their products to improve recyclability. After this I began to work more on the development of shredder residue processing, managing and delivering technical development projects to increase the recovery of polymers and metals. I then worked extensively on the issue of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in WEEE plastics, developing methods of identification and separation, as well as assisting my company with meeting the regulatory requirements. At this time I worked with WRc, and admired the quality of their work and such a technically challenging area, and after having worked for 12 years at my previous company I took the opportunity to apply for a job with WRc and was lucky enough to be taken on as Principal Consultant.

What aspects of your work are you most passionate about and why?

I love solving problems, and being able to use my technical skills and specialist knowledge to do so. I wanted to move back into consultancy because of the variety of work it offers, as well as giving me the opportunity to work with a wide range of companies and further grow my knowledge. Working in an industry that has a positive impact on the environment is also very important to me.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of work that help you stay motivated?

I am big into hiking, and regularly visit the Peak District or Yorkshire Dales to go walking at the weekend. I am just about to attempt a 100 km continuous walk in the Peaks which I aim to do in under 24 hours. My overall aim this year is to run or hike 1000 km. I am also love cooking, and I almost went to collage to be a pastry chef instead of engineering!

What future trends in your field excite you the most?

We have to move to a more circular economy, especially when you look at things like Critical Raw Materials and metals such as copper and aluminium, which have a huge footprint when extracted as virgin materials. This need for circularity will drive new business models and the need for more sorting and recycling of materials, something I hope we at WRc can be at the forefront of, along side being leading experts on the issue of legacy additives in waste and how to measure these.