After nearly 30 years in the construction industry, Andrew Craig became frustrated by how much useful material was being thrown away every day.
He chose to take action and set up his own business that reuses and recycles materials instead of wasting them.
Based in Caernarfon, his circular economy business, TroCymru, is growing quickly. Its aim is to divert construction waste from landfill and use data to prove the carbon and social value created. Andrew now works with housing departments in local councils across North Wales, as well as housing providers.
To help take his business further, he turned to Bangor University to get scientific support to prove that his method actually works.
Andrew said:
“I'm working with Bangor University to add research and academic credibility to what I do.
“At TroCymru, we intercept materials that would normally go into skips, things like kitchens, timber and bricks. I track them, reuse them, and measure the carbon and social value created. In simple terms, I stop good materials being thrown away and prove their value.
“I wanted to work with specialists at Bangor University to test the materials I use, measure their carbon impact, and build a system that councils and housing providers can trust. It's about combining hands-on experience with expert knowledge so the business can grow.”
Andrew also works as a Regional Account Manager at Travis Perkins, where he first saw the scale of construction waste and the opportunity to do things differently.
He said:
“A lot of that material still has value. At the same time, organisations are under pressure to reduce carbon and deliver social value.
“What makes TroCymru different is the data. I'm not just diverting waste – I'm tracking materials at property level and showing the carbon savings and social value created. That means housing associations and councils have clear evidence of where their waste goes and what impact their programmes are having.”
Andrew thinks that working with Professor Graham Ormondroyd at the BioComposites Centre, Bangor University will help prove that TroCymru's work is effective and help the organisation grow across Wales.
He added:
“This is still early stages, but the opportunity is big. With the right partnerships, we can build something that genuinely changes how construction works in Wales.”
Professor Graham Ormondroyd said:
“What Andrew is doing with Tro Cymru is exactly the kind of innovative thinking that can genuinely transform an industry. He's not just recycling materials, he's building a data-driven system that gives councils and housing providers real, measurable evidence of their environmental impact.
“At the BioComposites Centre, we can add the scientific rigour that takes Tro Cymru from a great idea to a trusted, scalable solution. With the support of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this is a real opportunity to change how Wales thinks about construction waste. It's been a privilege to work with Andrew someone who is genuinely making a difference to the construction industry in Wales.”
The project between TroCymru & Biocomposites Centre has received £5,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
