Viridor’s £25 million glass recycling plant has opened in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and will primarily cater to the country’s whisky bottle industry.
The plant can recycle 200,000 tonnes of glass per year, and according to Viridor is one of three glass recycling centres in the world that can accommodate such capacity.
With almost double the recycling capacity of its previous facility, the Newhouse, North Lanarkshire plant will aim to ease Scotland’s reliance on imported cullet for whisky and spirits bottles, and will ensure all cullet is fit to be recycled back in to the container glass manufacturing process.
According to Viridor, the new plant will recover up to 97% of input materials and achieve up to 99% product purity.
The 70,000 square foot facility has created 30 full-time jobs, and houses 15 scientific eye optical sorters, x-ray sorters, and over 500 metres of conveyer belts.
Viridor has expanded its glass operation as part of a £357 million investment in recycling and renewable energy infrastructure in Scotland over the past two years.
Ian McAulay, chief executive at Viridor, said: “A vital key in unlocking Scottish Government circular economy policy, this latest investment will not only help drive glass recycling and the sustainability of Scotch whisky, but will be a real boost for a Lanarkshire economy, fast becoming an important base for Scotland’s green sectors.”
Source: www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/viridor-opens-25m-glass-recycling-facility/
