Turmec Secures £15 Million Contract to Build Glasgow’s New Advanced Recycling Facility

Photo Credit: Turmec

According to an official statement released by Turmec, this international recycling systems provider has been awarded a £15 million contract to design and construct a new materials recovery facility (MRF) at the Easter Queenslie depot.

The project, approved by the Glasgow City Council’s Contracts & Property Committee, will see the construction of one of the UK’s most technologically advanced recycling plants. As reported, the new facility is expected to process up to 50,000 tonnes of household recyclables per year and play a central role in supporting Glasgow’s sustainability and net-zero objectives.

According to reports, this new MRF will form a key component of Glasgow’s modernized recycling strategy, aligning with the Charter for Household Recycling, which is reshaping how dry mixed recyclables (DMR) are collected across the city. The new plant is designed to process separately collected fibre (paper and card) and containers (cans, tins, plastics) while retaining the flexibility to handle co-mingled waste streams when needed.

“It’s great news that the contract for our new materials recycling facility at Easter Queenslie has been approved,” said Councillor Laura Doherty, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets. She added that the state-of-the-art equipment will significantly enhance the city's recycling capabilities by delivering cleaner, more efficiently sorted material streams.

Turmec highlighted that the new MRF will feature robotic sorters and AI-powered optical technology to ensure high recovery and purity rates, while also allowing flexibility to handle co-mingled recyclables if required.

David McCulloch, Head of Service at Glasgow City Council, commented that the collaboration with Turmec “represents a marriage of innovation and expertise” and reinforces the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship and a circular economy.

The project is receiving approximately £17 million in funding through the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund, administered by Zero Waste Scotland. As noted by Stuart Murray from Zero Waste Scotland, the initiative is already “making a real difference” across Scotland’s local authorities in advancing recycling infrastructure and helping achieve net-zero targets.

When fully operational in early 2027, the facility is expected to help reduce annual CO₂ emissions by around 5,802 tonnes and create new green job opportunities within the city.

In a statement issued on Turmec’s official website, Trevor Smart, Associate Director of MRF Sales, said the project will bring one of the UK’s most technologically advanced facilities to Glasgow, utilizing adaptive systems capable of responding to changing material streams.

Turmec CEO Geoff Bailey also described the contract award as a major milestone for the company’s strategic expansion into municipal recycling. He stated that Turmec is “honoured to be trusted by Glasgow City Council to deliver this project to meet its recycling objectives” and sees the project as a strong addition to its existing leadership in the commercial and construction waste sectors.

Source: Turmec