Viridor Opens Large Electronics Recycling Plant in the U.K.

Viridor, a waste management and recycling firm based in the United Kingdom, has officially opened its new recycling facility in St. Helens, U.K. The company says the facility will handle a wide range of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from throughout the country.

Materials processed at the site will be collected from household waste recycling centers, schools, hospitals and businesses across the Northwest portion of the U.K. The facility has the ability to process 40,000 metric tons of discarded electrical equipment, including televisions, refrigerators, and household appliances, according to the company.

Peter Heginbotham (Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Ltd Chairman), Simon Boyd (Unit Manager), St Helens Mayor Cllr Terry Shields, Mike Hellings (Viridor Managing Director), Mark Burrows Smith (Viridor Regional Director)

The Viridor site is scaled to process up to 120 refrigerators, 60 televisions and 6 tons of discarded household equipment every hour. Electrical components are separated for reuse and glass, metals and other recyclable materials are removed and further distributed for recycling.

Viridor Electrical Recycling Ltd was acquired in 2008 from Shore Recycling. The business comprises two sites; one in St. Helens and a second in Perth, which was upgraded four years ago.

The St. Helens site reopened following a fire two years ago. The new equipment, designed by MeWa Recycling, incorporates technology with increased safety standards. Equipment includes sensors on conveyor belts that will locate any areas with excessive heat, causing the machinery to immediately shut down in the event of fire.

“Advances in technology mean that more of the waste that we discard than ever is recyclable,” says Mike Hellings, director of Viridor. “Through sites such as St. Helens, it is possible to recycle as much as 95 percent of materials that are brought in.”

“WEEE recycling is an area where much can be done to decrease the amount of waste that we discard, and we have invested in new technologies at our recycling plants in St. Helens and Perth to dramatically increase the amount of WEEE that we can process,” he adds.