Project Beacon, at Binn Farm in Perthshire, is leading the way to a circular world of complete plastics recycling due to new technologies and an innovative integrated approach.

The new state-of-the art recycling centre has the potential to recycle all plastics in Scotland, even those that currently can’t be recycled.

Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Investment Fund supported by the Scottish Government and the European Regional Development Fund has backed the project investing £1.7 million.

The project is developing a system that uses new separation systems to support mechanical recycling, fused with chemical feedstock recycling process.

This includes a patented process based on thermal cracking, which recycles end-of-life plastic waste that typically cannot be recycled using mechanical methods, such as laminated, black, hard plastics and film and contaminated plastic waste.  

This new process produces a range of chemical constituents that can be used to create new virgin plastics, or other chemical products.

Iain McLean

Secretary Roseanna Cunningham and Zero Waste Scotland Chief Executive Iain Gulland

Project Beacon also brings together a group of recycling firms including PI Polymer Recycling, Recycling Technologies and Impact Recycling, with Binn Group signed on as supply chain partners.

Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “Initiatives like Project Beacon have the potential to be potentially ground-breaking as they are finding new uses and economic potential for hard-to-recycle plastics which could make a significant contribution to reducing waste and increase recycling.

Adrian Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Recycling Technologies. “As part of Project Beacon, Recycling Technologies is delighted to be installing its first commercial RT7000 chemical recycling machine at Binn Farm to recycle plastic back to oil. By combining existing and innovative mechanical and chemical recycling technologies, Project Beacon boosts the local economy and enables household and large rigid plastics to be recycled instead of incinerated.”

It is intended that this first demonstration facility will be up and running later this year.