UK glass recycling company Recresco is undertaking a number of changes at the Ellesmere Port site it purchased in a multi-million-pound deal last year.

The company, which is headquartered in Nottingham and operates a second site in Cwmbran, Wales, has started the new year with ambitious enthusiasm for the site driving forward a series of improvements and facility upgrades.

A substantial new covered structure approximately 1100 square meters has been constructed on the site to accommodate increasing material storage demands.

The company has seen a surge in tonnage going through the site which is thought to be as a result of increased kerbside recycling from homes under lockdown.

Following significant equipment and machinery upgrades last year including the purchase of four Sesotec K9 optical sorters and three Impact Air Systems’ Zigzag Air Classifiers (ZAC800), the business is continuing its commitment to state-of-the-art technology.

A new fully automated weighbridge has now been installed at Ellesmere Port by Weightron Bilanciai. The system provides exceptional accuracy and the company has already seen weighing turnaround times reduced by around 30%.

In a UK industry first, the company has introduced a mobile quality control unit, which will enable high level mobile laboratory testing of glass onsite at customer locations before material is transported to Recresco.

This speeds up the quality control process by avoiding the need for samples to be sent via courier for testing.

Onsite, a program of general cosmetic improvements to offices and reception areas is underway and a number of hybrid or fully electric vehicles and charging points are being introduced to the fleet.

Tim Gent, Director at Recresco, said of the changes: “This is a really exciting time for Recresco as we begin to put our plans for the company’s long-term future into action.

“We are committed to making a variety of improvements across the business at both of our plants but we are particularly excited about the opportunities available at Ellesmere Port following our purchase of the site last year.

“After making significant investment into world class sorting technology over the last few years, we are pleased to continue our equipment upgrade program enabling us to reprocess co-mingled collected glass into an exceptionally high-quality end product for our customers.”

He added: “The introduction of our new mobile quality control unit will make the process of laboratory testing much more accessible, reducing the need for unnecessary transport of material and increasing the speed that commercial decisions can be made.

“With this vehicle in operation, we now have the ability to complete thorough quality testing onsite at customer locations and produce results quickly.

“We are extremely proud of the achievements of our business and of our people.

“Recently introduced new uniforms, electric vehicles and external and internal cosmetic improvements to both sites are just the beginning of a drive to refresh the company and we look forward to unveiling further developments throughout the coming year.”