The equipment, which is the first of its kind in the world, is designed to allow glass to be taken from new waste streams for re-use in container manufacture.
Marketing manager Andy Hartley said: “It will allow us to significantly improve the quality of the re-processed glass.” The technology, details of which are being closely guarded, includes an element of what the company calls “colour enhancement” and machinery that scales up equipment already used in the UK by four times.
The equipment, which has been developed and tested by a university, is currently being prepared for testing on a larger scale in the Rockware plant at Knottingley in Yorkshire. But the company refused to reveal more about the projects until they were proved to work successfully on an industrial scale.
“We are taking a big risk but it's very difficult to do things for the first time without any risk,” said Mr Hartley. “If it doesn't work, we'll carry on as we are and try to crack the technological problem another way.
“If it does work, it will be a significant development for the industry, not just in the UK but in other countries.”
The company expects to know if the equipment works properly by mid-August and will make an announcement soon afterwards.
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