Greenstar develops 'enhanced' glass processing technology

Greenstar, the waste management firm, has developed glass processing technology that "satisfies remelting requirements" as part of its investment in materials recycling facilities (MRFs).

The Aylesbury-based firm is set to open two new £500,000 MRFs in the next five months. A 500,000-tonne-per-annum (tpa) site in Derby that processes paper is due to be completed in March. 

A 30,000-tpa site in South Oxfordshire is due to open in June.

Both sites ship some material to Greenstar's super-MRF in Aldridge, near Birmingham, where the firm has developed its glass processing technology.

The firm declined to give further information about the "enhanced process" but a spokesman told Packaging News the first 30-tonne load received "rave reviews" from a reprocessor.

Around 160 tonnes were put through the process during system development and testing in December and January. The system is now fully operational and will be able to process up to 200 tonnes a day of mixed glass.

The planning process for the super-MRF, which would add another 250,000 tonnes of processing capacity, near Edmonton in north London is also continuing, Greenstar said.

Chief executive Ian Wakelin said it was important to "keep moving" despite the difficult economic conditions. "Greenstar has continued processing and selling recyclables because we produce a quality product," he said.

Wakelin has been keen to defend co-mingled recycling in the face of criticism in the light of material stockpiling, and has written to environment minister Jane Kennedy.

"The killer fact is that in Defra's 2007/08 league table of the top 20 English councils for collecting dry recyclables, eight authorities, including the top pair, co-mingled everything," he said.