The resource recovery facility holds the capacity to process 1.6 billion plastic items and eliminate 320,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill every year
Viridor has opened new plastics reprocessing and waste management centre in UK. (Credit: Viridor)
Resource recovery and waste management firm Viridor has opened a new plastics reprocessing and waste management centre at Avonmouth near Bristol in the UK.
Developed with an investment of £317m, the new resource recovery facility holds the capacity to process 1.6 billion plastic items and eliminate 320,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill every year.
The Avonmouth plant is said to be the UK’s first co-locating plastics reprocessing and an energy recovery facility (ERF) in one location. Furthermore, tt can reduce UK plastic waste exports by around 8%.
Viridor said that the plastics reprocessing facility can reprocess more than 80,000 tonnes of plastic per annum, including 1.6 billion bottles, tubs, and trays.
The resource recovery facility has generated employment to 125 people, as well as more than 500 people were employed onsite at the peak of its construction.
The company said that plastic recycling at the facility is anticipated to save 126,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum.
Viridor CEO Kevin Bradshaw said: “The scale of what we are doing at Avonmouth shows that ending the export of plastic waste from UK shores can become a reality. It is right that consumers who pay for recycling see the benefits in local investment and jobs.
“Five more reprocessing facilities like Avonmouth could end UK plastic waste exports and generate a third of a billion pounds in new investment.
“This will create over 600 jobs in communities across the country, and put the UK on track to deliver critical targets for recycling and net-zero.”
In May last year, waste management company Biffa agreed to acquire collections business and the majority of recycling assets from Viridor for a cash consideration of £126m.