"This investment has been planned for some time and we are pleased that we are now finally able to implement our strategy since the Government has laid down the Regulations"
Graham Davy, managing director of Sims Recycling Solutions
Sims Recycling Solutions, a division of the Sims Group, has announced that it is installing new processing capacity at its Newport, South Wales plant to treat and recycle Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
The introduction of the WEEE Regulations in January 2007 is the stimulus for this expansion of Sims infrastructure for wastes management as it will be elsewhere.
The new site has a footprint of 12 acres and has the capacity to process in excess of 100,000 tonnes of WEEE per annum. Sims’ total Newport infrastructure now covers over 36 acres and the company says that it is capable of processing the entire range of domestic and commercial end of life products at the site, including providing b2b services.
The £8m facility has received partial funding from the Welsh Assembly Government’s Regional Selective Assistance Programme and enhances its partnership with Associated British Ports through its package of infrastructure support.
The company says that the Newport plant will complement Sims’ existing WEEE
operations in Scotland, England, Scandinavia, Benelux and Germany.
Comments
Sims Group's Newport plant
Graham Davy, managing director of Sims Recycling Solutions said:
“This investment has been planned for some time and we are pleased that we are now finally able to implement our strategy since the Government has laid down the Regulations. This facility is a further demonstration of our commitment to best practice recycling both locally and nationally. It is great news, not only for Sims but also for Newport.”
He continued:
“The WEEE Directive will play an important role in reducing the UK’s landfill and carbon emissions footprint and this investment reflects Sims’ commitment to environmental stewardship. Allied to our recent investments in Germany, the Benelux and Sweden, we are providing total WEEE solutions for both the business to business and consumer marketplaces, across Europe.”
John Fitzgerald, South Wales Port Director, Associated British Ports (ABP), commented:
"ABP is extremely pleased to be playing a part in the creation of this facility at the Port of
Newport. We are also pleased to continue developing our positive relationship with Sims
Group at Newport and across ABP’s ports situated around the UK.”
Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, added:
"This is an important investment both economically and environmentally and I'm very pleased that my department has worked so closely with Sims to make sure this project went ahead in
Newport in time for the new recycling legislation which becomes law next year."
The Sims Group
Sims Group’s metals recycling business deals with ferrous and non-ferrous metals, operating from over 120 sites worldwide and recycling 9 million tons of metal each year.
The Group is a public limited company, listed on the Australian stock exchange with a range
of services in Europe that covers end of life vehicles, abandoned vehicles, end of life tyres; WEEE recycling and end of life fridge recycling.
The company states that the Newport Site already houses the world’s largest shredder for recycling end of life vehicles and light iron and the world’s largest fridge recycling plant as well as a metal’s recycling yard, rail link and deepwater docks facility.