Leeds opens first mega recycling facility in Yorkshire

YORKSHIRE, UK (Scrap Monster): A new £5 million Leeds recycling facility which can process half a million tons of waste opened in Yorkshire.

The Super Materials Recycling Facility which has opened at Stourton run by Leeds Paper Recycling will use top technology to process all kinds of waste material using powerful systems alongside magnets and a separator to sort the waste.

The company says there will be no waste going to landfill thanks to the new machinery and, it is also set to create more jobs.

Managing director Jame Todd told the YEP: “We are able to divert all waste away from landfill. These are exciting times. To actually see the system working and running will be a big moment for the company.”

The facility will be able to recycle paper, metals, glass, wood, textiles, bricks and rubble and organic waste, as well as polystyrene and mattresses.

LPR collects the waste material from a variety of commercial clients ranging from small shops to larger companies, and even operations such as the White Rose Centre.

It employs 120 people and the new investment is set to boost that figure by a further 30.

Todd said the waste material, once sorted, is then distributed to mills in the UK, Europe or the Far East where it is further processed for use as new paper products, bottles and clothing (plastics), furniture (wood), aggregate (rubble) and animal bedding (paper and carpets), amongst others.

Todd said: “We have constantly invested in recycling technology, staff training and new systems to reach our goal of a zero landfill Super MRF with a collection service and recycling solutions to meet the demand from small and large blue chip companies.

“Clients come to us for three reasons. The first is to save money in these difficult times. The second is to recycle 100 per cent of their waste and the third is to reduce carbon footprint.

“Our next goals are to use a full fleet of electric-powered vehicles to collect the waste.”

Todd said that he would like to see the company use its own waste residues to power its collection vehicles and the machinery and provide local power.