Commissioning underway at Scott Bros’ £4m ‘urban quarry’
Teesside-based Scot Bros announced on 17 January that commissioning at its new £4 million wash plant was underway, with the ‘urban quarry’ set to be operational within six weeks.
The waste management company says the plant, capable of converting up to 300 tonnes of construction and excavation waste into sand and aggregate per hour, will create at least seven jobs, safeguard a further 54 and provide the family-run business with a major revenue stream for decades to come.
Situated next to the Teesworks industrial zone, construction on the plant began 15 months ago. Wet processing experts CDE are now commissioning the facility.
Peter Scott, Scott Bros’ director, said: “This ‘urban quarry’ is one of the largest anywhere in the UK and has proved an exciting but complex project.
“We are now putting inert material through as part of the rigorous testing and commissioning process which should be completed within six weeks.”
Scott Bros says it decided to invest in the facility as its current £1 million wash plant, which processes up to 50 tonnes of inert material per hour, was unable to meet the construction industry’s increasing demand for high-quality recycled aggregate and sand.
North Somerset hails residents’ Christmas recycling
North Somerset council has thanked residents for “thinking about their carbon footprint over the festive period” by recycling more.
The council collected more than 214 tonnes of additional recycling over Christmas compared to the average during the rest of the year.
Residents also reduced residual waste by 23 tonnes and food waste by 25 tonnes when compared to the same period in 2021.
And, residents raised more than £37,350 for local charities through Christmas tree recycling schemes.
Cllr Mike Solomon, North Somerset’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, said: “Individual efforts have made a cumulative difference and supported our vision for a greener North Somerset.”
Cllr Solomon also thanked the council’s waste team, the North Somerset Environment Company and contractors Glendale and Enovert for their efforts.
Glencore tight-lipped over Britishvolt’s administration
Commodity trading giant Glencore declined to comment when asked about the future of their proposed battery recycling plant following Britishvolt going into administration.
Glencore unveiled plans to build a 10,000 tonnes per year capacity lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Northfleet, Kent, last February (see letsrecycle.com story).
The plant was to process all start-up Britishvolt’s battery manufacturing scrap from their ‘gigafactory’ in Blyth, Northumberland, as well as lithium-ion batteries, portable electronics batteries and full electric vehicle packs.
Britishvolt collapsed into administration on Tuesday, with most of its 232 staff reportedly made redundant with immediate effect.
The future of the gigafactory is now uncertain and Glencore would not be drawn when asked if their own plant in Kent would still go ahead.
Axil to launch reuse marketplace
Consultancy Axil Integrated Services has announced it will launch a surplus asset reuse marketplace in partnership with reuse and redistribution network Globechain.
The marketplace will allow companies to donate surplus assets such as furniture and unused pots of paint to charities and small businesses.
Axil says Globechain has already facilitated the reuse of more than five million items, diverted 65,000 tonnes of material from disposal and returned more than £400 million in disposal savings to members.
Globechain currently helps 3,000 charities, Axil says, who will all be able to access the donated assets.
Gina Rudkin, Axil’s head of sustainability and zero waste, said: “We are thrilled to launch this new initiative and provide our customers with a way to give back to their local communities, while also reducing waste and emissions.
“Reuse is a core pillar to a more circular economy and our partnership with Globechain allows us to offer a seamless and easy way for our customers to contribute to this transition.
“We are confident it will directly support their ESG and sustainability goals through creating a positive impact on the environment and local communities.”
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