Up to 60 new jobs will be created following the opening of a new ‘pioneering’ recycling facility in Fife.
The facility in Whitehill Industrial Estate in Glenrothes aims to develop a greater plastics recycling infrastructure in the UK.
It aims to save the material from being exported overseas.
The site is co-owned by Morrisons and will be operated by recycling plant specialists Yes Recycling.
A number of other organisations including Nestlé UK & Ireland and Zero Waste Scotland, have also been involved in the development of the plant.
Omer Kutluoglu, co-owner of Yes Recycling, said: “The UK is in desperate need of more plastic recycling capacity and, in particular, for the so-called ‘hard-to-recycle’ plastic waste such as flexible food packaging.
“Our new ‘next-generation’ recycling plant, which we’ve developed over the last seven years, is designed to tackle exactly these materials.
“It is a blueprint for the future and will help to kick-start the UK’s plastics recycling industry.
“It will mean we can keep plastic in our own country’s circular economy and out of our seas and oceans.”
New Fife recycling plant: How it works
At full capacity, the site will recycle 15,000 tonnes of plastic packaging a year.
The new recycling plant takes low grade plastics including sweet wrappers, crisp packets, salad bags, and non-PET food film.
When these materials enter the site, all of the plastic material is washed and sorted.
It is then broken down and turned into flakes and pellets which can be used to make new plastic products.
Other pellets are compressed into ecosheets which can be recycled again at the end of their life.
The product is an alternative to plywood which is just as strong, has a longer life span and a similar price.
Ecosheet also diminishes the environmental impact that plywood has as it is recyclable at end of life.
Morrisons helping build UK infrastructure
The hard-to-recycle soft plastic will be sent to the 65,000 sq ft site from Morrisons distribution sites and stores, and by Cireco Scotland who operate Fife Council’s household kerbside collection service. .
Fife is currently one of a limited number of councils who collect and segregate hard-to-recycle plastic and send it to a recycling facility.
Unlike ‘high grade’ plastics – which are more valuable and which have been harvested for many years – this ‘low grade’ soft plastic has not been recycled widely.
That is due to limitations of technology to recycle this material into commercially viable products.
Until now, it has either been incinerated, ended up in landfill, or been exported overseas.
Jamie Winter, procurement director at Morrisons, said: “We’ve done a significant amount of work to reduce our plastic use.
“Now we want to help build a UK infrastructure to recycle the plastic that we may still need to use.
“By recycling these problematic plastics here in the UK we can give them a new life.”
Nestle’s seven-figure investment
Nestlé, Yes Recycling’s first investor, also provided a pre-investment of £1.65 million.
Sokhna Gueye, head of packaging at Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “It is really exciting to see Yes Recycling open its doors in Fife.
“At Nestlé we are working hard towards our vision that none of our packaging ends up in landfill or as litter, so it is fantastic to see our packaging given a second life.”
Conversation