IRISH recycling company Turmec has landed a £15m contract with Glasgow City Council to design and build a state-of-the-art robotic Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).
The new site will use cutting-edge technology and feature advanced automation, including robotic sorters and AI-driven optical sorting technology.
Geoff Bailey, CEO of the Co. Meath company, said the award of the contract 'marks a significant milestone in Turmec's ambitions to be the go-to supplier in the MRF market'.
Founded in Rathcairn in 1972, Turmec is a leading international provider of materials handling and recovery solutions to the waste processing sector.
It specialises in the end-to-end design and building of complex waste separation and processing systems, which are critical for large-scale, efficient waste processing and recycling plants.
The business employs 100 people and continues to operate from Co. Meath at a 66,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Rathcairn.
The new Glasgow facility at Easter Queenslie will be able handle up to 50,000 tonnes of household recyclable materials per year.
It will form a cornerstone of Glasgow City Council's renewed commitment to sustainability and modern waste processing.
The new facility will work in tandem with the ongoing rollout of a collection service across Glasgow that provides separate bins for fibre and containers.
These materials will be processed in the new MRF, which has flexibility to process co-mingled Dry Mixed Recyclables (DMR) if required.
'Bold and forward-thinking'
Speaking about the contract, Mr Bailey added: "Turmec is honoured to be trusted by Glasgow City Council to deliver this project to meet its recycling objectives."
Trevor Smart, Turmec's Associate Director of MRF Sales, said the site will be 'the future of recycling in the UK'.
"We are extremely happy to have been selected by Glasgow City Council to deliver a MRF on the forefront of sorting technology," he said.
"Along with our technology partner BHS, Turmec will be designing and delivering one of the most robust and technologically advanced MRFs in the UK using AI controlled optical sorters, robots and a control system with the ability to adapt to changing material streams which will help Glasgow City Council to produce high quality recyclate.
"At Turmec, we admire Glasgow's bold and forward-thinking approach and look forward to delivering this MRF which will represent the future of recycling in the UK."
The re-development of the Easter Queenslie depot, which includes the MRF, represents a significant investment in Glasgow's waste collection and processing infrastructure.
The Scottish Government's Recycling Improvement Fund, administered by Zero Waste Scotland, is supporting the project with approximately £17m of grant funding.
When completed in early 2027, the new facility is expected to deliver significant environmental benefits, including a reduction of 5,802 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
It will also support a diverse range of job opportunities in Glasgow's green economy.
See More: Glasgow, Meath, Rathcairn, Scotland, Turmec
