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Gable Business Finance specialises in arranging asset finance for lifts and lifting equipment used across
waste management, recycling, and materials processing facilities. Lifts play a vital supporting role
within these environments, enabling safe access, efficient maintenance, and controlled internal
logistics in complex, multi-level processing sites.
In modern waste and recycling operations, lifting equipment is essential infrastructure rather than
optional plant. From goods lifts and platform lifts to service lifts and vertical transfer systems,
these machines support daily operations by moving materials, components, tools, and personnel safely
between different levels of a facility.
Asset finance allows businesses to acquire the right lifting equipment without committing significant
upfront capital. Gable Business Finance can arrange funding for:
This flexibility is particularly important in waste and recycling environments, where lifts are often
custom-designed, refurbished, or integrated into existing buildings and processing lines.
Waste and recycling facilities are frequently large, industrial environments with complex layouts.
Processing equipment such as crushers, screens, balers, shredders, and conveyors may be installed at
different elevations, requiring reliable and safe vertical movement of materials and personnel.
Lifts provide a controlled solution for these requirements, reducing reliance on manual handling,
temporary access equipment, or mobile plant. They improve operational efficiency while supporting
health and safety compliance.
In many facilities, lifts are critical for:
Because lifts often operate continuously and form part of the building infrastructure, reliability,
load capacity, and compliance with regulations are essential considerations.
UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating recycling plants, waste transfer stations,
scrap yards, and processing facilities increasingly invest in lifting equipment as operations expand
and sites become more complex.
For SMEs, lifts often become necessary as soon as facilities introduce mezzanine floors, elevated
sorting lines, or multi-storey processing layouts. Without lifts, staff may rely on stairs, forklifts,
or temporary lifting methods, which can be inefficient and introduce safety risks.
SMEs use lifts to:
Asset finance enables SMEs to install compliant lifting solutions while preserving working capital
for staffing, utilities, fuel, and growth.
The adoption of lifts in the UK waste and recycling sector has grown steadily as facilities increase in
scale and sophistication. Modern recycling plants are no longer simple ground-level operations; they
often involve multi-stage processing across multiple elevations.
Stricter health and safety regulations have also driven investment. Employers are required to minimise
manual handling risks and ensure safe access for maintenance and inspection. Properly specified lifts
help meet these obligations.
Urban recycling facilities, in particular, face space constraints that encourage vertical rather than
horizontal expansion. Lifts enable efficient use of limited footprints by supporting multi-level
layouts.
As a result, lifting equipment is now viewed as a core part of facility design, frequently funded via
asset finance alongside processing machinery.
A range of lift types are used across waste management and recycling operations, depending on load
requirements, space, and usage patterns.
Goods lifts are designed to transport materials, components, containers, and bales between levels.
They are robust systems suited to industrial environments.
These lifts provide safe access for maintenance teams to reach elevated machinery, platforms, and
service areas.
Platform lifts are often used for short vertical travel where space is limited. They support both
materials and personnel movement.
VRCs are used to move materials vertically as part of automated processing systems, linking conveyors
and sorting lines across levels.
Many facilities use bespoke or refurbished lifts tailored to specific site layouts and operational
requirements.
Lifts represent a significant capital investment, particularly when integrated into buildings or
processing systems. Asset finance allows businesses to spread the cost while benefiting from the
equipment immediately.
Hire purchase allows businesses to work toward ownership of the lift. This is commonly used where the
lift forms a permanent part of the facility.
A finance lease provides flexibility where lifting equipment may be upgraded or replaced as site
requirements change.
Operating leases may suit temporary facilities, project-based operations, or transitional site
layouts.
Existing lifts owned outright can be refinanced to release capital for upgrades, expansion, or other
equipment.
Lifting equipment in waste and recycling facilities is often purchased used, refurbished, or as part
of private site upgrades. Many lifts have long service lives when properly maintained.
Gable Business Finance can arrange funding for:
This allows businesses to select lifting solutions based on operational fit rather than finance
restrictions.
Yes. Lifts can often be financed alongside other machinery and infrastructure as part of a single
asset finance agreement.
Yes. Used lifts of any age can be financed, subject to condition and compliance.
Yes. Finance can be arranged for private sales as well as dealer-supplied equipment.
Yes. Lifts used in commercial and industrial environments are widely accepted as eligible assets.
Finance terms usually align with the expected working life of the lift, often between three and seven
years.
Lifts are essential supporting assets in modern waste management and recycling facilities, enabling
safe access, efficient maintenance, and effective internal logistics.
Asset finance allows businesses to invest in lifting equipment without compromising cash flow. By
arranging finance for any lift, of any age, whether new or used, and whether supplied by a
dealer or purchased privately, Gable Business Finance supports safe, efficient, and scalable
waste and recycling operations across the UK.
© 2026 Gable Business Finance. Specialist asset finance brokers for the UK waste and recycling sector.