UK waste disposal company Enva (Glasgow; www.enva.com) said it has opened a new facility for the reprocessing and recycling of so-called intermediate bulk containers (IBC) at its Scottish Dunniflats site in Ayrshire.

According to the environmental services provider, the facility is the first of its kind in Scotland, and is provided with a pressure testing facility. It has a capacity of more than 25,000 units per year.

IBCs are used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical industries as well as the food and beverage industry for the transport and storage of liquids, semi-solid materials, pastes, and solids.

According to Enva, more than 180,000 of these large-volume plastic containers are up for reconditioning every year.  

In the new plant, the empty containers are washed, dried, and tested for tightness. They are then sold to customers. IBCs that cannot be reprocessed are taken apart and recycled, the company said.