Glasgow City Council Awards £15 Million Contract to Turmec for State-of-the-Art Robotic Materials Recycling Facility
Glasgow, Tuesday 17th June 2025 – Glasgow City Council’s Contracts & Property Committee has approved a £15 million design and build contract to Turmec, a leading international provider of materials handling and recovery solutions to the waste processing sector, for a cutting-edge Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at the Easter Queenslie depot, Glasgow.
This major infrastructure project will form a cornerstone of the city’s renewed commitment to sustainability and modern waste processing, with the new plant expected to handle up to 50,000 tonnes of household recyclable materials per year.
The MRF is designed around the Charter for Household Recycling which is already transforming how the council collects Dry Mixed Recyclables (DMR). The new facility will work in tandem with the on- going rollout of a collection service across Glasgow that provides separate bins for fibre (paper and card) and containers (cans, tins and plastics) with the aim of improving the quality and quantity of recyclables collected.
Councillor Laura Doherty, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said:
“It’s great news that the contract for our new materials recycling facility at Easter Queenslie has been approved and we are now ready to take a major step forward with Glasgow’s recycling service.
“Recycling processors want high quality, clean and easily sortable materials that allow them to create recycled products efficiently and effectively. The modern equipment to be installed at Easter Queenslie that properly separates the recyclable waste generated by our residents will be a game changer for recycling in Glasgow.
The new facility will support the improvements we have been making to collection services that are already encouraging a rise in recycling rates in the city. I look forward to seeing the difference the new facility will make to recycling in Glasgow and how it will help us create a more sustainable, less wasteful city.”
These fibre and container materials will be processed in the new MRF which has flexibility to process co-mingled DMR if required.
The MRF uses state-of-the-art technology and will feature advanced automation, including robotic sorters and AI-driven optical sorting technology, to achieve high recyclate recovery and purity rates.
Commenting, David McCulloch Head of Service from Glasgow City Council, said:
“Our partnership with Turmec represents a marriage of innovation and expertise, positioning the council at the forefront of material recovery and environmental responsibility and demonstrating our commitment to sustainability and achieving a circular economy.”
The re-development of the Easter Queenslie depot, which includes the MRF, represents a significant investment in the city’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.
Stuart Murray from Zero Waste Scotland said:
"It’s great to see progress on Glasgow’s new materials recovery facility. The city is one of several councils that is benefitting from the Recycling Improvement Fund, which is making a real difference to recycling services and infrastructure across Scotland. These improvements will support Scotland’s journey to net zero and help protect our environment for generations to come."
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.
Turmec, recognised for delivering high-recovery, automated recycling systems worldwide, is proud to support Glasgow’s bold step forward in sustainable waste management. This project not only supports immediate environmental goals but also positions the city to meet future recycling targets with confidence.
Trevor Smart, Turmec’s Associate Director of MRF Sales, says:
“We are extremely happy to have been selected by Glasgow City Council to deliver a MRF on the forefront of sorting technology. 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”
Geoff Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of Turmec, responding to the contract award, said:
“Turmec is honoured to be trusted by Glasgow City Council to deliver this project to meet its recycling objectives. Turmec is already the leading UK supplier of recycling solutions for the Construction & Demolition and Commercial & Industrial Waste streams, this award marks a significant milestone in Turmec’s ambitions to be the go-to supplier in the MRF market too”.
ENDS
About Glasgow City Council - the largest Waste Disposal Authority in Scotland, Glasgow City Council are at the forefront of providing modern and effective recycling services which provide value for money to the public and contribute towards a more sustainable and circular economy.
For more information about GCC and its complete portfolio of waste-processing solutions, please visit https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/
For media queries, please contact:
Ione Campsie, Ione.Campsie@glasgow.gov.uk | 00 44 7760171345
About Turmec - Established in 1972, Turmec is a leading international provider of materials handling and recovery solutions to the waste processing sector. It specializes 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 operates from a 66,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility at Rathcairn within the Irish-speaking Gaeltacht area of County Meath in Ireland. Turmec is a portfolio company of Causeway Capital (www.causeway.capital). The Irish Strategic Investment Fund is, in turn, an investor in Causeway Capital.
To learn more regarding this project, visit https://turmec.com
For media queries, please contact:
Brigid Manley, brigid.manley@turmec.com | 00 353 87 9921993
Or
Jim Devlin, jim@cunninghamdevlin.ie | 00 353 87 2631057
