WRC Recycling is set for a huge boost in the amount of building debris it can handle in-house following today’s official opening of a £4 million construction and demolition (C&D) plant at its site in Inchinnan.

The new Kiverco plant has capacity to handle 40 tonnes of waste per hour, meaning the amount of construction material handled in-house by WRC will rise by 90 per cent. Managing director Robert Capper said this will lead to the recovery of higher-quality recyclable material for onward processing, and less waste going into landfills across Scotland.

Groundwork on the new facility began in March after two years in the planning. It is expected to lead to the creation of 30 new jobs within the next year, taking the total headcount at WRC to 90.

Owned by the Capper family, WRC was set up in 1998 and previously traded from Linwood and then Johnstone before relocating again in 2017 to its current headquarters. Construction of the new C&D plant has been supported by a £500,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise.

WRC buys and processes waste from industry and households, and sells basic materials from recycled waste. It operates across a variety of sectors including the construction, hospitality, office, retail, healthcare, local authority and manufacturing industries, and also undertakes haulage and broker tasks regarding waste management.

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Turnover in the current year is expected to reach £15m, with Mr Capper predicting further steady growth over the next five to 10 years amid the push towards a circular economy.

“Our previous waste management license allowed us to handle 22,575 tonnes of material,” he said. “However our new license which has been in pace since January allows us to process 75,000 tonnes – enabling us to process 90% more construction and demolition material in-house.

“This is a crucial investment for our business at a time when our industry is rapidly changing and the dial is being turned up on Scotland’s move to a circular economy.”

The company has appointed Piotr Hendlick as manager of the new facility, who brings with him more than 15 years of experience in plant operations. Speaking at the time of his appointment, Mr Hendlick said he was “delighted” to be joining the company at a “pivotal moment” in its wider business strategy.