The facility on the Heathcote Industrial Estate has been operational for two weeks and allows for paper, cardboard, glass, plastics and aluminium cans to be sorted and recycled.
Fortress’s investment in the processing facility has been supported by a £100,000 grant from the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme – making it the first business in Coventry and Warwickshire to receive a grant from the scheme.
The facility was built by German company, Westeria and equipment provider Blue Machinery installed some of the equipment. This includes Westeria conveyors and bunkers, a ballistic separator, TOMRA optical sorters, an Untha XR3000 Shredder, a Marathon Baler and a Crosswrap wrapping machine.
Twenty new jobs have also been created as a result of the investment.
Carbon savings
According to Fortress Recycling, the facility will reduce its CO2 emissions by up to 5,571 tonnes every year.
Commenting on the facility, David Pass, managing director of Fortress Recycling, said: “This plant is now one of the most advanced material recovery centres in the UK. We recycle non-hazardous business waste and recycle paper, cardboard, glass, aluminium cans, plastic bottles and milk bottles and the new machine will also improve our productivity levels.
“The carbon savings we are making is fantastic and it isn’t just the fact we are recycling materials which usually go to landfill but the savings we are making on raw materials. Items can be recycled so less energy is being used to make new products.
He continued: “We used to spend over £2 million a year on disposal costs so we will be making big savings on that as well.”
Green business
The Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme is an EU funded programme supports SMEs to become more energy efficient and maximise low carbon opportunities.
Sarah Watson, Green Business programme manager, said: “We have been pleased to assist Fortress in successfully obtaining a Low Carbon Innovation grant of £100,000 as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme.
“The new materials recycling facility will not only result in significant carbon savings and enable resources to be recovered and recycled, but will also create new jobs and develop new business opportunities.”
Cllr Noel Butler, business portfolio holder at Warwick district council, said: “It is great to see valuable resources not being wasted and instead being reused and recycled. Supporting businesses in Warwick is very important to the district council since they are the lifeblood of our local economy.”
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