The company said the accreditation signalled its determination to become a significant player in the coloured glass recycling market, and denied that a recent drop in PRN prices from 26-33 to 16-10 for a tonne of glass (see letsrecycle.com story) would affect this interest.
Value
A spokeswoman for Lafarge said: “As long as there is some value in the PRNs, we will continue to recycle the glass.” Re-using glass for construction helped the company comply with both Waste Strategy 2000 targets for reducing waste to landfill and Minerals Planning Guidance for reducing reliance on primary aggregates, she said.
But she admitted the company needed to keep an eye on PRN prices, adding: “If it gets to the situation that glass PRNs have got no value, we might have to rethink things.”
Construction
Lafarge has been accredited to quality standard ISO 9002 at sites in Harper Lane, Hertfordshire and Ashbury in Manchester, which between them process 14 million bottles a year for re-use in road construction. The company operates 38 centres in the UK, which recycle materials such as glass, railway ballast and construction and demolition materials every year for products such as aggregates, concrete, asphalt, cement and roofing.
At the two accredited sites, waste glass is crushed and screened to produce an aggregate substitute which is blended with primary materials to meet the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive and the Specification for Highways Works (May 2001 amendments).
Andrew Bate, the company's general manager of waste, landfill and recycling, said: “Glass recycling is a logical extension to the company's established business and enables us to provide an additional service to both established and new clients.”
Three more Lafarge glass recycling sites have applied to the Agency for accreditation and are awaiting a reply.
To keep up-to-date on PRN and materials prices, visit: letsrecycle.com prices.
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