Glass cullet rides the rails from the Port of Tilbury.

The Port of Tilbury, London’s major port, and URM UK loaded their first train of bulk glass cullet processed from a new recycling facility at the port.

1200 tonnes of raw glass cullet left Tilbury en route for Cheshire this month by train, the first shipment under a long term supply agreement. The cullet is produced from glass across the south of England, predominately from kerbside collections as well as bottle banks, which is processed in URM’s state of the art recycling hub at the port.

URM operates some of the world’s most advanced cullet sorting and treatment plants. They use sophisticated optical and mechanical processes to ensure that cullet of the highest quality is available for re-processing. Berryman has pioneered new methods of treatment to make sure that glass can be put to useful second life.

The port took possession of the rail terminal this year, and have reconfigured the site to create a first for Tilbury, a dedicated bulk materials rail terminal for recycled and construction materials.

Commenting on the first load out Peter Ward, Commercial Director at the Port of Tilbury said: “It’s great to see bulks leaving the port from Tilbury’s dedicated rail head. We have a strong partnership with URM and both companies have invested significantly in the new processing recycling hub at the port. Being based at the port takes advantage of our unique transport connections by sea, road and rail. We expect to see many more rail loads of glass cullet from the port throughout the year.”

 Mark Wilson, Chief Executive of URM UK said: “We chose Tilbury as our partner and the port as the location for our new facility, due its superb infrastructure connectivity and their expertise in material handling. We are delighted that the first product has moved by rail, to complement our shipping and road capability. This will ensure that URM remains at the forefront of glass recycling and environmental management in the UK. “