Largest plastics recycling facility in Wales opens

This is a wonderful example of the way in which the green economy can help transform the Valleys and communities across Wales

 
Jane Davidson, Welsh environment minister

The plant, which is the first to be developed by start-up company Plastics Sorting Limited (PSL), will process 12,000 tonnes of PET bottles annually before scaling up to its licensed capacity of 24,000 tonnes a year over time.

PSL was the recipient of two grants – totalling £1.3 million – from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) to help develop the facility on the 91,500 sq ft site at Blackwood Business Park in Blackwood, nine miles north of Caerphilly in South Wales.

At the launch, Ms Davidson said: “This is a wonderful example of the way in which the green economy can help transform the Valleys and communities across Wales; delivering new jobs, investment and skills.

“It shows that changing the way we think about waste doesn't just make a difference to the environment, it can bring real economic benefits too.”

The first grant of £850,000 was intended to help Plastics Sorting start-up, while the second WAG grant, received in June 2009, enabled the firm to purchase hot-wash equipment to allow it to increase the value of material collected and processed at the site (see letsrecycle.com story).

Plastics Sorting said it was in discussions with local authorities in South Wales about sourcing bottles for the plant and already had arrangements with waste management firms including Recresco.

A spokesman for Plastics Sorting, said: “This is an exciting time for everyone involved and a major step towards creating a sustainable green business sector in Wales. This plant illustrates how we can create jobs, help the environment in Wales and give something back to the local community while still doing business.”

The firm is a subsidiary of Cardiff-based social enterprise Cleanstream Group, which also includes Herefordshire-based plastics recycling firm Baylis Recycling.

PSL is chaired by Mal Williams of the Welsh community reuse network and is being headed up by former commercial manager at Aylesford Newsprint Chris White, who joined the firm in February (see letsrecycle.com story).

The plant is being developed to meet BREEAM Excellent standards, the environmental assessment method for buildings, and will incorporate rainwater harvesting for use for most of its process water.

Heat and electricity for the plant are set to be generated from a renewable fuel source, such as an anaerobic digestion facility being developed on the neighbouring Green Business Park.

The Blackwood facility is the largest plastics recycling plant in Wales to date, although, London-based Closed Loop Recycling has tabled plans for a 50,000 tonnes-a-year capacity plastics recycling facility at Deeside in North Wales, which it hopes to have operational in 2011.