The company specialises in hard-to-recycle plastics, including banknotes, hard hats, printed packaging film, and post-industrial and construction waste streams. The new plant will open in late October and will recycle 15,000 tonnes a year of low-grade post-consumer plastic. The plastic will then be processed into pellets and flakes, with residual waste used to develop a new generation of Ecosheet, an alternative to plywood.
"Unlike other products, Ecosheet is created using mixed polymers, utilising what other manufacturers throw away,鈥� said Omer Kutluoglu, co-founder and director of Yes Recycling.
Ecosheet has evolved since the prototype was produced over 10 years ago. The company claims Ecosheet is as strong as plywood and priced in line with plywood, while having a greater life span. Unlike plywood, it is recyclable at the end of its life, said Yes Recycling. The sheets will be produced in a range of thicknesses comparable to plywood. It is described as being suitable for uses such as construction, and shuttering and can be used for interior, exterior and marine or water applications.
鈥淔lexi plastics will always be a controversial material; as a business we are focused on educating others on the positives of this resource,鈥� said Kutluoglu. 鈥淯sing Ecosheet and following the guidelines for use will reduce environmental impact for the industry, enabling those in construction to dramatically improve their recycling rates due to Ecosheet having complete recyclable end-of-life properties.鈥�
Collaborators on the Yes Recycling Fife project include Scottish Development International, Scottish Enterprise, Zero Waste Scotland, InvestFife, Business Gateway Fife, Ecosurety and Dunfermline-based Cireco.
Zero Waste Scotland has supported the project with an investment of 拢520,000 from the Circular Economy Investment Fund, administered by Zero Waste Scotland with funding from the European Regional Development Fund and the Scottish government.
Andrew Dickson, business investment manager at Zero Waste Scotland, said: "Yes Recycling's new facility in Glenrothes is an excellent illustration of the supply chain collaborating and how the Circular Economy Investment Fund works.
"The fund exists to support innovative projects and businesses and in this case helps Yes Recycling to manufacture reusable products that maximise the value from goods we already have in circulation while at the same time generating economic growth and creating jobs."
Robin Baird, chief operating officer for Cireco (Scotland), added: 鈥淲e are delighted to have been chosen by Yes recycling to deliver this innovative new project. Yes and Cireco has shared values in ensuring that previously hard to recycle plastics can now become valuable resources and help support Scotland's circular economy delivery. This continues Cireco goals of ensuring that Fife continues to be seen as open to innovation in the delivery and expansion of the green economy.鈥�
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
