A £25 million glass recycling facility owned by Viridor has been opened by the Scottish Environment Secretary.
Richard Lochhead opened the facility at Newhouse in North Lanarkshire that will recycle glass from 17 Scottish local authorities for use by the Scottish whisky industry in its bottles.
The centre includes 15 optical sorters, x-ray sorters, over 1.5 kilometres of conveyor belts and 2.5 kilometres of electrical cabling.
Viridor chief executive Ian McAulay said: “Building on existing network and over £357 million of investment in Scotland’s green economy over the last 24 months, Newhouse brings the UK’s most advanced glass recycling centre home to the central belt and places Scotland at the leading edge of global glass recycling.
“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 the Lanarkshire economy, fast becoming an important base for Scotland’s green sectors.”
Richard Lochhead added: “I welcome this significant investment in modern recycling infrastructure. Glass packaging is important to a number of Scottish food and drinks manufacturers and glass recycling makes sense for our economy and the environment.
“I recently launched the Scottish Government’s consultation on taking steps to create a more circular economy in Scotland. In a world of finite resources, where global populations and consumption growth are driving increased volatility and vulnerability in the supply of raw materials, the circular economy offers a new and exciting perspective.
“Recycling is just a part of that. A more circular economy will conserve our finite resources, help support jobs in our communities, and improve our quality of life.”
