My Little Interview: Paul Kinley

Our group managing director Paul Kinley was recently quizzed by Materials Recycling World in the magazine's 'My Little Interview' series.

If you missed the original article, you can catch up below...

1) What was your first job? A safety co-ordinator in the chemical industry.

2) What are the best and worst moments of your career so far? Best would be the decision to take the leap and start my own business, Indigo Environmental – a big risk but truly rewarding. The worst – or toughest – moment was starting a firm during the financial crisis in 2007/8. There was no financial support and total aggression from the banks – a difficult time to get through without scars.

3) What one thing would you change about the waste/recycling industry? There is a clear misunderstanding – or lack of awareness – surrounding the levels of investment and processing capabilities required to grade, sort, segregate and process high-quality recyclates. As a society, we rightly strive for re-use and recycled products, but the degree of innovation and problem-solving needed to achieve this can be extremely demanding.

4) If you weren’t in waste, what would you want to be? Probably the chemical sector or some branch of heavy industry.

5) Book or e-reader, and what are you reading now? Book – ‘A.I. Void Ship’ by Vaughn Heppner.

6) Where would you like to time travel to? I enjoyed the early 70s – I have very fond memories growing up.

7) What song means the most to you? Any track from Rush’s 1984 album, ‘Grace Under Pressure’. 8) What can’t you live without? Yeung chow fried rice – and my family, of course!

9) What would you do as prime minister for a day? Not lie (see below).

10) Which building would you like to be locked in overnight? My local cinema – I’d watch bad Sci-Fi films all night! 11) What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Don’t lie! 12) Who is your biggest inspiration? Tony Bonner, my MD in the 80s – a genuine inspiration to me.