The site, located within Day Aggregates’ Greenwich Depot on the Thames, is now designed to handle up to 100,000 tonnes of glass annually, processing material collected from material recovery facilities (MRFs) across London.
Once cleaned and sorted into cullet, the glass will be exported by ship from the Charlton wharf to European glass manufacturers, which Day Glass Recycling said will reduce the need for long-distance road transport.
The facility does not require glass to be separated by colour due to the nature of its end products.
Myles Willingale, Contracts Manager at Day Group, commented: “Reducing road miles not only eases traffic congestion but also cuts carbon dioxide emissions, aligning with both local and national climate action goals.
“This investment in Charlton represents our commitment to sustainable solutions and a more circular economy.”
Day group expands glass recycling
Day Glass Recycling is a division of Day Group, which also processes construction and demolition waste and incinerator bottom ash (IBA).
Across the South of England, the company collects more than 150,000 tonnes of glass each year from waste management companies operating bulking sites for sources such as kerbside glass banks and MRFs.
The division also has two other facilities in Ridham and Southampton, which opened in 2023 and also has capacity for 100,000 tonnes of waste glass.
The main export locations for the Southampton facility are Portugal and Holland, with smaller volumes sent to Italy and Greece.
Following the upgrade, the plant is fully operational and has created six new local jobs.
According to Day Glass Recycling, several of the capital’s waste management companies signed on to supply material.
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