Materials group Sibelco has acquired two glass recycling activities, Emiliana Rottami and Emill, through a bankruptcy auction in the Bologna region of Italy.
Emiliana Rottami is an obsolete glass recycling plant with valid permits. Emill is a glass fines recycling plant. Both were part of the same group which went bankrupt in 2019.
These acquisitions will allow Sibelco to further grow its Italian glass recycling footprint (with Emiliana Rottami) and extend its business model concept through a zero-waste approach (with Emill).
They complement Sibelco’s existing plants in Musile, near Venice, and the recently-acquired Macoglass recycling plant near Bergamo.
Sibelco will clean the waste pile at the Emiliana Rottami site and demolish the obsolete plant.
Sibelco is also conducting an engineering study for the development of a 250kt brownfield plant with the intention of starting construction by the third quarter of this year.
It is also working on a proposal to source material from a stockpile nearby (Via Bonvino).
Pieterjan Goedertier, Vice President of Recycling at Sibelco, said: “Our customers face substantial challenges to secure secondary raw materials in the Italian market. Sibelco has addressed these needs by increasing the capacity of the Musile plant, doubling the operating hours of the Macoglass plant and now by investing in Emiliana Rottami.”
Ilse Kenis, Sibelco Executive Committee member and head of Business Group Glass & Performance Materials, said: “As a company we are committed to supporting the circular economy as it fits our purpose: material solutions, advancing life. Our investments in glass recycling in Italy and other regions continue to demonstrate our support to our glass customers in their quest to source more sustainable materials.”
Sibelco processes 1.5 million tonnes of waste glass every year in Europe.