Construction waste recycler to open £6m plant near Cumbernauld
- Published
Brewster Brothers already operates a recycling plant at Livingston
A Scottish firm is gearing up to open its second construction waste recycling plant.
Livingston-based Brewster Brothers said its new £6m wash plant in North Lanarkshire would be capable of recycling 300,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill each year.
The facility will convert waste into quality aggregates for re-use in the building trade.
It will be based at the former Gartshore brickworks near Cumbernauld.
The regenerated site, which is currently open for tipping of soil and rubble, is expected to be fully operational by the autumn. Plans include recycling an old bing and turning the area into a country park.
Brewster Brothers, which already employs 39 people at its existing Livingston plant, expects to hire a further 22 staff at Gartshore, supported by the Scottish government's Green Jobs Fund.
Over the past five years, the firm has diverted more than one million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation (CDE) waste from landfill.
It also estimates that it has created more than 750,000 tonnes of recycled aggregates over that period.
A computer-generated image of the new plant at Gartshore
Brewster Brothers said its expansion reflected a growing recognition within the construction industry of the need to meet sustainability targets and adopt circular business models.
According to Zero Waste Scotland, 50% of Scotland's waste results from construction-related activities.
Managing director Scott Brewster set up the sustainable resource management business in 2017 alongside his father, Alex Brewster.
Scott said there was "a growing imperative" to reduce waste generated by the industry and improve the environmental impact of new building developments and infrastructure projects.
He added: "By investing in a second site at Gartshore, we will be able to service 44% of the Scottish construction market, while keeping our own carbon footprint to a minimum."