Rockware glass recycling plant now at full strength

In September of last year glass reprocessors Rockware opened its second glass recycling plant at Wheatley in Yorkshire, as part of a 25 million investment programme. (see letsrecycle.com story)

The cullet line at Rockware's Wheatley plant

The site compliments Rockware's Knottingley plant, which opened in the year 2000. Both facilities have the capacity to recycle over 200,000 tonnes of glass per annum.

Nigel Keenlyside, spokesperson for Rockware glass said: “Rockware has learnt from the experience of its plant at Knottingley. Improvements have been made to the plant and these improvements have been incorporated at Wheatley from the very start.”

The two sites use a dust filter plant which produces very low emissions, Knottingley was the first site in the UK to use this equipment. The German-built filter system removes particulates from the chimney emissions by the injection of lime, which is constantly recycled, followed by the filtration of the resulting dust.

Improvements

Rockware's chief executive, David Currie, said: “Our drive for continuous improvements in using more recycled glass from the waste stream coupled with our search for best practice in meeting environmental obligations imposes an immensely challenging task on our managers and engineers.

” Rockware has learnt from the experience of its plant at Knottingley. Improvements have been made to the plant and these improvements have been incorporated into at Wheatley from the very start “
– Nigel Keenlyside, Rockware
“Emerging environmental technology has become an integral part of our capital investment programme, which will enable our business and our customers to share many benefits of sustainable development,” he added.

Most of the glass that Rockware take in comes from local authorities although it does receive from the commercial sector, which provides window glass, as well as pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Mr Keenlyside said: “Rockware is always looking at the possibility of further sites in the future, but that of course will depend on whether or not there are the collections to provide the glass. You can only process what is collected.”