Family-operated waste management company WRC Recycling recently welcomed Provost Lorraine Cameron to cut the ribbon at the launch ceremony for its new £4m waste plant.

AN AMBITIOUS investment strategy is coming to fruition for WRC Recycling, the family-owned recycling and waste management company based in Renfrewshire, which has opened its new £4 million Kiverco construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant.

Provost Lorraine Cameron of Renfrewshire Council cut the ribbon to official open the facility at a launch day at the firm’s Inchinnan plant last week, praising WRC Recycling and its directors – Robert and Carole Capper, son Robert Capper jnr and Brian Capper – for their investment in the business and Renfrewshire.

The Herald:

“This is a big day for WRC Recycling and a big day for Renfrewshire,” Ms Cameron told the staff and stakeholders attending the launch ceremony.

“This is an extremely impressive development which comes just a few years after WRC invested £6m in this site and I am really happy that we’re seeing a local company investing and creating local jobs for local people.”

Supported by a £500,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise, the Kiverco plant will allow the business to handle a greater volume of material on-site while recovering a higher-quality recyclable product for onward processing.

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It also cements WRC’s position as one of the UK’s leading players in an industry that is becoming increasingly important as the country accelerates its transition to net zero.

Provost Cameron and other guests, including representatives from Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce and Zero Waste Scotland, were given a guided tour of the plant by the firm’s managing director Robert Capper jnr and Colin Blakely, general manager, during which they explained how the Kiverco plant operates.

The investment will allow WRC to significantly increase the amount of building debris it can handle in-house with capacity now to process 40 tonnes of waste per hour, using “intelligent” technology. Mr Capper said this will lead to the recovery of higher-quality recyclable material for onward processing, with less waste going into landfill across Scotland.

WRC moved to its modern recycling centre and head office in Inchinnan in 2017 following a £6m investment. The business was set up by Mr Capper and his family in 1998 and previously traded in Linwood and Johnstone.

Now a £15 million-turnover business, WRC employs about 60 people although 30 new jobs will be created within the next year as the firm’s new plant beds in. A recent arrival is Piotr Hendlick who was appointed manager of the new facility in May, bringing with him more than 15 years’ experience in plant operations.

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WRC buys and processes waste from industry and households, and sells basic materials from recycled waste. From recycling wheelie bins and the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping used in salmon farming, to skip hire and confidential paper shredding, the company is described as a “one-stop shop for recycling and waste management” and offers “cradle to grave” recycling and bespoke solutions to companies across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

Speaking about WRC Recycling’s ambitious growth aspirations, Mr Capper pointed to future acquisitions but told guests at the launch day last week: “We can’t do any of this without our staff and we have a really great team here at WRC who share our vision and passion,” he said.

Provost Cameron added: “It takes a great team to get a company to where it wants to go, so to see that happening here in Renfrewshire, where WRC and their staff are reaping the benefits of investment, further strengthens Renfrewshire as a great place to do business.”

www.wrcrecycling.co.uk