Sims Recycling Solutions (Sims Recycling), a subsidiary of Sims Group Limited, has opened a new GBP12 million recycling facility at Newport, Gwent. The new facility will allow to carry out various recycling solutions. The new site will recover and recycle all types of domestic and commercial waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at a rate of 100,000 tonnes per year.
On February 9, 2009, First Minister for Wales, Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan officially opened the new facility at Newport, Gwent.
The waste electrical and electronic equipment directive (WEEE Directive) came into force in January 2007 and aims to both reduce the amount of electrical and electronic equipment being produced and to encourage reuse, recycling and recovery.
The WEEE Directive plays an important role in reducing the UK’s landfill and carbon emissions footprint and the Newport facility reflects Sims Recycling Solutions’ commitment to environmental stewardship.
WEEE is driven primarily by the quantities of computers and IT equipment, televisions, printers, stereos, DVD players and mobile phones which are discarded by the tens of thousands each week by businesses and consumers alike.
The new facility benefits from Sims Recycling’ European experience in electronics recycling and will offer services which comply with the European WEEE directive. These include re-use and refurbishment of computers, secure b2b asset management services, TV dismantling and processing, general WEEE recycling and downstream plastics separation. The Newport plant compliments Sims Recycling Solutions’ existing WEEE operations in Scotland, England, Scandinavia, Benelux and Germany.
The new purpose built 6,000 square meter building, has been constructed with this growing waste stream in mind and houses the latest in electronics shredding technology along with a designated area where computer and IT equipment can be refurbished for re-use and re-sale. The site also houses Sims Recycling Solutions’ plastics line which uses a mixture of specialist technology to separate polymers from residual plastic which would otherwise go do landfill.
The new plant, combined with the company’s existing facility in Newport, increases the company’s total footprint in Newport Docks to 36 acres, making Newport one of the world’s largest recycling operations. Newport also houses the world’s largest metals shredder and the world’s largest fridge recycling plant and employs around 200 people.
Graham Davy, global chief executive officer at Sims Recycling said: “We are extremely proud of this new facility which not only demonstrates our commitment to meeting the UK demand for WEEE recycling in the long term, but is great news for Newport too. We would like to thank the Welsh Assembly Government for their support in this venture which has enabled us to continue our growth strategy of investment in the area. Although times are difficult at present, we are confident that in the long term this world class facility will pay dividends in attracting new business, safeguarding jobs and making a significant contribution to the local economy. Combined with recent investments in Germany, Benelux and Sweden, we are well on the way to providing total WEEE solutions for both the business to business and consumer marketplaces, throughout Europe.”
First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan said: This new investment by Sims Recycling Solutions – supported by the Assembly Government – makes this facility not only the biggest but also the most advanced recycling centre in Britain.
I congratulate Sims Recycling Solutions, as a world leader in the field of recycling, on a development which makes this site in Wales one of the flagships of the recycling industry and an increasingly important source of sustainable jobs for the local economy.