The site is located in St Werburghs, Bristol, next to the M32, and brings the total number of sites operated by Global Ardour up to 13.
The recycling company said that it hopes to be operational by mid-September this year.
Graeme Slater, Operations Director at Global Ardour, said: “Our expansion into Bristol strengthens our national presence and allows us to provide even greater coverage and service to our customers and partners across the South West.
“This is another important step in our wider expansion plan, and we’re excited about what’s ahead for the Bristol site and the opportunities it will bring.”
The new site will offer the following services:
- Ferrous metal recycling
- Non-ferrous metal recycling
- Raw2K vehicle auctions and collections
Unimetals files for liquidation
Unimetals filed a petition for compulsory liquidation in November 2025 after efforts to secure new investment or complete a sale of the business were unsuccessful.
Unimetals faced escalating liquidity challenges throughout 2025, prompting a search for new financing.
A spokesperson for the company explained at the time: “We have worked tirelessly to explore every possible option to secure new financing for Unimetals Recycling (UK), with the aim of meeting our financial obligations and safeguarding the future of the business.
“This included an accelerated M&A process, supported by our advisers and undertaken in full collaboration with stakeholders, to identify potential buyers or investors.”
Despite these efforts, negotiations stalled and the company was left without the funding required to continue operations.
The development followed Unimetals’ acquisition of 28 Sims Metal Management sites across the UK for £195 million in October 2024.
The deal was expected to create one of the UK’s largest independent scrap metal recyclers.
The transaction’s uncertainty prompted Sims to take a £17 million loss allowance, according to its annual report published in September 2025.
The closure of Unimetals left a major gap in the UK market and has had significant knock-on effects, including the ongoing fridge reprocessing capacity deficit – which has caused several local authorities to pause collections.
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