Photo of cardboard and paper ready for recycling

Glasgow City Council - Recycling Improvement Fund

01 Dec 23 1 minute read

Glasgow City is set to recycle more than 10,000 tonnes of extra material annually due to funding for an enhanced kerbside service and the construction of a new Material Recovery Facility (MRF). 

Glasgow City Council has received the largest award to date from the Recycling Improvement Fund award: more than £21 million for a new MRF, set to open in 2026, and a new twin-stream kerbside service.  

Recycling improvements in Glasgow

This will give around 120,000 kerbside households separate collections of fibre (paper and cardboard) and containers (metals, plastics, carbons, and film) improving both the quality and quantity of recyclables captured. This service will start being rolled out to residents early in 2024 in a phased approach.  

The projected carbon savings from the funding will be equivalent to taking 3,245 cars off the road for a year, a vital step in the fight against climate change. 

Zero Waste Scotland Head of Resource Management Stuart Murray joined Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater and Councillor Ruairi Kelly at the site of Glasgow's new material recovery facility.
Zero Waste Scotland Head of Resource Management Stuart Murray joined Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater and Councillor Ruairi Kelly at the site of Glasgow's new material recovery facility.

Zero Waste Scotland CEO Iain Gulland called Glasgow's application "a significant and transformative project to increase its operational capacity for recycling" and "improve the quality of materials collected." 

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said that Glasgow Council’s award “will make an important contribution to the national recycling picture” and make it “easier for households to recycle”.