A number of interested parties are said to be interested in the businesses, which are run by Hales Waste Control. Hales has 38 sites in the UK, while another subsidiary, RMC Environmental Services, operates 10 biodegradable landfill sites, two compost facilities and three materials recycling facilities.
RMC revealed the move this week in a brief statement which did not name the parties involved in discussions. A management buy-out of the business is thought to be a possibility.
At a London conference recently, it was estimated by Merrill Lynch that in the year to December 2001, Hales Waste Control had revenues of 104 million, and a 2% share of the UK waste market.
A sale is seen as likely to help RMC reduce its debts, which were put at 1.36 billion in June 2002. RMC plans to concentrate on its core businesses of cement, concrete and aggregates in the UK, US and Europe.
This follows the results of a group-wide review which recommended the sale of smaller, under-performing and non-core interests last month. The company has said it aims to reduce its net debt to under 1 billion by the start of 2004.
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