Recycling ‘super plant’ set to slash landfill waste

S o m e 2 0 , 0 0 0 t o n n e s o f industrial waste will be pre - ve n te d f r o m g o in g to l a n df i l l t h a n k s t o a s e v e n - f i g - u r e i nve s t ment i n a n E d i nb u r g h r e c y c l i n g “s u p e r plant”.

NWH Group’s new machine r y u s e s s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t screening and air separation te c h n o l o g y to s o r t t h r o ug h c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d d e m o l i - t i o n wa s t e m o r e e f f e c t i ve - l y, e n a b l i n g i t to c a p t u r e 1 5 per cent more material to be recycled.

The investment by the capi t a l - b a s e d w a s t e m a n a g e - ment business in the £2 mill i o n - p l u s r e c y c l i n g f a c i l i - t y has b een supp or ted with a s se t f i n a nc i n g f r o m HSB C UK.

T h e n e w m a c h i n e r y i s a l s o s a i d t o b e f a s t e r, r e c y - c l i n g s o m e 4 5 t o n n e s o f w a s t e p e r h o u r c o m p a r e d t o 1 5 t o n n e s wi t h t h e o l d e r system.

N W H G r o u p e x p e c t s t o grow its business by 50 p er cent per annum over the next three years thanks to the new super plant, which will help it become more operationally efficient.

The firm will run all of its w a s t e t h r o u g h E d i n b u r g h w h i l e u t i l i s i n g i t s e x i s t - i n g s i t e n e t w o r k i n S c o t - l a n d a n d t h e n o r t h o f E n g - l a n d a s w a s t e c o l l e c t i o n points.

Chief executive Mark Will i a m s s a i d : “T h i s i n v e s t - m e n t e n s u r e s t h a t N W H G r o u p w i l l h a v e t h e m o s t cutting- edge facilit y in S cotl a n d a n d u n d e r p i n s o u r vision to eliminate waste to landfill.

“Our previous technolog y limited our scope for growth, b u t t h a n k s t o t h e f u n d i n g f r o m H S B C U K , t e c h n o l o - g y i s n ow h e lp i n g wi t h o u r speed and efficiency, and has opened up our prospects for growth.

“The super plant only needs six men to operate it; we previously had to have nine men assisting the machinery, so it’s enabled us to free up some of our staff to help us elsewhere in the business, which is fantastic.”

Marcus Sangster, relations h i p d i r e c t o r a t H S B C U K , added: “We’re proud to help NWH Group forge ahead in a way that is both sustainable for the business and the environment with HSBC Equipment Finance.

“It’s encouraging to see a company with such ambition and strategy in the face of this pandemic and we look forward to seeing how the recycling super plant will benefit both NWH Group and its clients going forward.”

NWH Group is a second-generation family business headquar te red i n Midl o t h i a n . I t ser ves Scotland and Newcastle from ten sites and employs some 300 staff.

The company c ontinued its ex p a n s i o n e a r l i e r t h i s ye a r through the acquisition of a business based in Dumfries, b u y i n g Ar ms t r o n g Gr o u p’s w a s t e m a n a g e m e n t a r m f o r a n u n d i s c l o s e d s u m i n February.

The acquisition was in line w i t h t h e Wi l l i a m s f a m i l y - owned NWH’S plan to extend its geographic reach.

Armstrong Waste Management provides ser vices ranging from skip hire to mate - r i a l s r e c yc l i n g i n t h e s o u t h we s t o f S c o t l a n d , t h e c e n - t r a l b e l t a n d t h e n o r t h o f England.

The purchase of the business was expected to add 10 per cent to NWGH Group’s turnover, which increased to £40 million in the year to September, 2018.