Edinburgh recycling 'super plant' set to slash landfill waste

Some 20,000 tonnes of industrial waste will be prevented from going to landfill thanks to a seven-figure investment in an Edinburgh recycling “super plant”.

Mark Williams, CEO at NWH Group, a second-generation family business headquartered in Midlothian that serves Scotland and Newcastle from ten sites and employs some 300 staff.

NWH Group’s new machinery uses state-of-the-art screening and air separation technology to sort through construction and demolition waste more effectively, enabling it to capture 15 per cent more material to be recycled.

The investment by the capital-based waste management business in the £2 million-plus recycling facility has been supported with asset financing from HSBC UK.

The new machinery is also said to be faster, recycling some 45 tonnes of waste per hour compared to 15 tonnes with the older system.

NWH Group expects to grow its business by 50 per 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 waste through Edinburgh while utilising its existing site network in Scotland and the north of England as waste collection points.

Chief executive Mark Williams said: “This investment ensures that NWH Group will have the most cutting-edge facility in Scotland and underpins our vision to eliminate waste to landfill.

“Our previous technology limited our scope for growth, but thanks to the funding from HSBC UK, technology is now helping with our 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, relationship director at HSBC UK, 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 headquartered in Midlothian. It serves Scotland and Newcastle from ten sites and employs some 300 staff.

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