Tweet

Next Generation Glass Recycling Set For Scotland

14 February 2012

Scotland is to be home to Europe's most advanced glass recycling infrastructure following an announcement yesterday (13th February) by Viridor

The £6m "next generation" recycling infrastructure will be one of only three of the latest specification technology solutions to be developed across the globe, with similar facilities being developed in France and Australia.

Viridor operates an existing £3m, 100,000 tonne per annum glass recycling facility at Bonnyrigg, Midlothian - a facility it obtained through the acquisition of MacGlass in 2003. The facility recycles container and plate glass from across eighteen Scottish local authority areas and supplies the Scottish container remanufacture, insulation and aggregate sectors.

The latest investment, to be located on Viridor's existing site, will offer the ability to colour sort mixed glass back to original streams for a high quality recyclate, rejecting material contamination and will protect the fifty jobs on site and retain the company within Midlothian.

Colin Paterson, Viridor's Scottish regional director, said: "This latest investment will not only bring world leading infrastructure to Scotland, but will place us at the forefront of European glass recycling capabilities.

"Glass recycling is a real Scottish success story and in addition to meaning more high quality product is available for remanufacture in Scotland, supporting everything from Irn Bru to scotch whisky, this investment will enable councils and companies to enhance sustainability."

Mr. Richard Lochhead MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, welcomed the announcement, stating: "Zero waste isn't simply about high rates of recycling, it's about extracting the most value we can from items that can be recycled. Closed loop recycling - glass going back to glass - reduces our consumption of raw materials and helps reduce carbon emission. This £6m technology Viridor is investing in will mean that glass can potentially be recycled an infinite number of times, a win-win for our planet and our economy."

www.viridor.co.uk

Darrel Moore