A number of individuals and representatives of local groups started talking to Monmouthshire County Council in 2001 about the idea of kerbside collections of recyclable materials. With help from nearby Newport Waste Savers, GAVO (Gwent Association for Voluntary Organisations) and Cylch (Wales Community Recycling Network), a not-for-profit company was formed and a business plan developed. The company was called Monmouthshire Environment Trust and trades as Monmouthshire Community Recycling (or MCR).

The members were volunteers, who successfully obtained funding from Viridor Credits, through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. With generous donations of grants or equipment from Corus, Alcan, Alupro and most importantly Monmouthshire County Council, MCR was able to employ staff and start operations. This eventually led to MCR launching the Black Box Scheme for Severnside in July 2003.

MCR kerbside collection in Caldicot

The Black Box Scheme spread rapidly, and proved very popular with Severnside residents, moving on to Chepstow in December 2003.  MCR won the ECT Newcomer of the Year Award in 2004, being judged the best new recycling project in the UK, in terms of social values, diversion from landfill, flexibility and value for money.  

Coverage was extended into a number of new villages in October 2004.  Another successful funding application, this time to Cleanstream (Big Lottery Fund), gave MCR the opportunity to take the scheme to the north of the county, and add Monmouth and Abergavenny to the areas served in 2005.  New trucks were put into use, with a design unique to MCR, new staff were employed, and the service brought to 75% of the county's population by the end of the year.

MCR has had the Green Dragon Environmental Standard since 2004, the Investors In People standard in 2005, and is currently working towards standards in occupational Health and Safety and quality.