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UK bottler Encirc opens dedicated rail terminal
UK glass manufacturer Encirc has opened its new purpose-built rail terminal at its plant in Cheshire, which will allow it to reduce its carbon emissions by more than 2,400 tonnes annually and remove 6,600 journeys made by HGV lorries from the road each year.
Encirc’s new rail terminal at Elton in Cheshire will remove around 6,600 HGV lorry journeys from the road each year
Encirc has been developing the site in Elton, which was once a power station that operated its own railhead, since it opened its Cheshire plant in 2005. By connecting to the British rail network, Encirc expects to be able to receive 78% of sand needed for the manufacture of its glass bottles by rail, significantly reducing its reliance on roads.
The company received its first shipment of recycled glass to the rail terminal this month, which comprised of 1,600 tonnes of recycled cullet (glass).
“The reopening of the railhead has been a ground-breaking development for us,” said Andrew Morris, head of logistics.
“We know that our customers – much like ourselves – place sustainability high on their list of priorities. By investing in our new terminal, we can continue to make their supply chains more environmentally responsible, and considerably reduce the carbon footprint of our containers we produce.
“Our railhead is an excellent example of how a business can also embrace past technologies to offer sustainable solutions for the future.”
Encirc has agreed a long-term agreement with the UK’s largest glass recycler United Resource Management (URM), which has invested £20m in new glass recycling technology at its new facility based at Tilbury Dock, London.
“The site was chosen due to its proximity to the London market and connectivity by both rail and ship that will divert significant movements of product away from road,” added Mark Wilson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of URM. “We are delighted to be supplying Encirc with product by rail under a long term partnering arrangement that has sustainability at its very heart.”
Encirc, which operates from purpose-built sites in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, and Elton in Cheshire, produces more than 2.7 billion glass bottles and other containers annually.