Viridor invest £2 million in Sheffield glass recycling facility

Company strengthens its recycling capability with the addition of four advanced optical sorters  

VIRIDOR have invested £2 million in their state-of-the-art Sheffield glass recycling facility at Salmon Pastures. A total of £6.7 million has been ploughed into the facility in recent years, and the latest development was marked with a visit by Clive Betts MP, Chair of the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee. 

The recent investment has added four advanced optical sorters at the facility. These new sorters use X-ray and infrared technology to sort glass; identifying items such as ceramics, stones, porcelain (CSP) and plastics, and then filtering them from the finalized glass cullet product. 

Thanks to these enhancements, the plant is said to have achieved ‘End of Waste’ accreditation for glass produced – an external quality standard recognizing processing facilities that transfer waste material into a product and ‘out of the waste’ cycle. 

The Sheffield site now encompasses 12 optical sorters, over a mile of specialist conveyor belts and three floors of processing towers, all of which refine the quality of recycled glass. The plant is described by Viridor as one of Europe’s most advanced glass recycling facilities – managing the equivalent of over 132 million wine bottles each year and achieving a reported 97% recycling rate for the material arriving on site.

The facility also supports the local economy providing 24 full-time jobs and two apprenticeships. Mr Betts commented: ‘I was very impressed with my visit to the Viridor glass recycling facility in Sheffield. The investment in the site not only benefits Sheffield but also other cities and businesses outside of Sheffield as well. Recycling is a very important issue and having modern facilities like this one allows it to be carried out in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.’