Viridor to Build Large Glass Recycling Plant in Scotland

Viridor, a solid waste and recycling company based in the United Kingdom, has announced plans to build an advanced glass recycling facility in Midlothian, Scotland. According to Viridor, the glass recycling facility is expected to cost around the £6 million (US$9.4 million). According to Viridor, when the project is complete it will be one of only three of its type of ‘next generation’ glass recycling facilities in the world. Similar facilities are being developed in France and Australia.

The company already operates an existing £3 million, 100,000-metric-ton-per-year glass recycling facility in Midlothian—a facility it obtained through the acquisition of MacGlass in 2003. The facility recycles container and plate glass from throughout 18 Scottish local authority areas and supplies the Scottish container remanufacture, insulation and aggregate sectors.

The latest investment will allow the company to color sort mixed glass back to original streams for a high quality recyclate, rejecting material contamination.

Colin Paterson, Viridor’s Scottish regional director, says, “Viridor is Scotland’s leading recycling, renewable energy and sustainable waste partner and is leading investment in the ‘next generation’ infrastructure our nation will need to achieve a zero waste economy. This latest investment will not only bring world leading infrastructure to Scotland, but will place us at the forefront of European glass recycling capabilities.

Richard Lochhead the U.K.’s 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 £6 million 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.”

Midlothian Council Leader, Councillor Derek Milligan, adds, “We are delighted Midlothian is to be home to Europe’s most advanced glass recycling infrastructure. Viridor’s decision to establish the new technology and plant in Bonnyrigg, with the resultant employment, is welcome news in tough economic times. It will also help cement Midlothian’s future as the home of dynamic, forward-looking industries including life sciences and renewables.”