GLOBAL packaging company Orora Limited has lodged a development application for a $5.85 million glass processing facility at Kingsford.

The facility is proposed for adjacent its existing glass bottle manufacturing plant, at 48 Argent Road, and comprises a 2745 square metre processing building, storage bays, weighbridges and extra carparking.

According to the application, lodged with Light Regional Council, the glass processing facility will enable Orora to process and sort mixed glass for reuse within its nearby glass bottle manufacturing plant.

“The facility has been designed to process in the order of 150,000 tonnes of glass per year at its capacity,” it says. “For the first two years, the plant is expected to process in the order of 60,000 tonnes of glass each year.

“Glass will be developed to the site by small trucks, semi-trailer sized vehicles and B-double vehicles. Ultimately, this development will enable Orora to use more recycled glass in its operations than it does now, and this reduces the usage of virgin materials, reduces CO2 emissions and improves energy efficiency in the manufacturing process.”

The processing and sorting plant equipment will be imported from Europe and have the ability to crush bottles into small sizes, remove contaminants and sort the glass into like colours.

The proposed Category 2 development went out for public notification this month on the basis that it involves a matter of environmental significance.

The application will also require a referral to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), before being presented to Light Regional Council’s Assessment Panel.