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Recresco wins glass processing deal with Cardiff

Cardiff council has awarded glass recycling company Recresco a 12-month contract for the transport, processing and recycling of mixed coloured glass.

Recressco's Ellesmere Port facility, where the glass will be processed

The deal is worth £441,000, according to a contract award notice published last week (12 May). It began on 16 May and could be extended by a further six months after the initial year.

Recresco, which has worked for Cardiff council for the past four years, will process mixed coloured glass from residents’ kerbside collections and trade waste at its facility in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

The glass recycling company sends reprocessed material to nearby Encirc to be made into bottles.

A spokesperson for Cardiff council told letsrecycle.com: “The council required a solution to process mixed coloured glass that is separated in our material recycling facility.

“We estimate that approximately 7,000 tonnes of mixed coloured glass is produced each year. However, this could rise at peak times.

“The successful provider needed to guarantee a landfill diversion rate of 100% and a minimum recycling rate of 80%.”

Cardiff

Representing an estimated population of nearly 485,000, Cardiff council had a household waste recycling rate of 56% in the 2020/21 financial year.

Cardiff collects commingled plastic, tins, paper and card weekly in green sacks. Residents present glass separately in blue bins.

The council recycled 9,766 tonnes of glass in 2020/21, according to Welsh Government figures.

The business has made significant investment in ensuring more glass is driven into remelt

– Fraser Macintyre, Recresco

Circular economy

Fraser Macintyre, Recresco’s business development officer, said: “We are pleased to continue our relationship with Cardiff council for a further 12 months and are proud to support local government sustainability goals.

“Waste management is a key concern for local councils around the UK and effective recycling plays a crucial role in addressing this.

“At Recresco, we are fully committed to supporting the circular economy. The business has made significant investment in state-of-the-art equipment to achieve this goal by ensuring more glass from mixed colour and MRFs is driven into remelt.

“We look forward to working with Cardiff council to help divert local authority waste glass from landfill and into sustainable end use.”

Recresco operates a further reprocessing facility in Cwmbran, South Wales. The company also recently secured 12-month contracts with Powys county council and Torfaen borough council (see letsrecycle.com story).

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