CWM Environmental invests in TOMRA technology to drive £15 million redevelopment of Carmarthenshire RRF
The state-of-the-art plant is capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes of material annually, managing both household co-mingled waste and commercial segregated recyclable waste streams. Operating a standard single-shift, 40-hour working week, the facility handles a diverse infeed stream including co-mingled dry mixed recyclables (DMR) and kerbside collections from both trade and domestic sources. It has also been engineered with the flexibility to handle a kerbside sort stream for Carmarthenshire County Council, scheduled for mid-late autumn 2026, ensuring it can accommodate forthcoming waste reforms.
The facility supports Welsh Government’s ambitions to become a zero-waste nation by 2050.
Advanced sorting configuration
The transition from manual picking to a high precision automated process has allowed CWM Environmental to significantly increase both throughput and material value. Where a manual line would previously have required roughly ten people to achieve this throughput, the seven AUTOSORT™ units are strategically distributed across specialised 2D and 3D lines to ensure maximum recovery. AUTOSORT™ is a multifunctional system which combines AI, multi-sensor technology and advanced image processing to sort an exceptionally wide range of materials.
On the 2D line, two AUTOSORT™ units work in sequence: the first removes non-fibre materials for transfer to the 3D line, while the second extracts brown OCC. The 3D line features four units focused on polymer separation, including PET natural, HDPE natural, HDPE jazz and PP. A final step ensures all other plastics, such as PET jazz, are recovered for reuse.
To maximise yield and resource efficiency, a seventh unit acts as a scavenger, monitoring the reject line to recover any misplaced target material and returning it to the start of the process.
This multi-stage process is achieving recovery purity levels of >95%.
Strategic partnership and performance
Paul Wakelin, Head of Operations at CWM Environmental, comments: “This redevelopment is a milestone for CWM Environmental. After the challenges of the 2021 fire and the subsequent years of operation which relied on manual sorting, this £15 million investment allows us to operate at the very forefront of the industry. TOMRA’s technology outperformed all others in our evaluation trials, and the results we’re seeing in terms of purity, throughput and efficiency are exceptional. We’re now able to consistently meet the rigorous purity standards required by both domestic and international reprocessors to turn waste back into high-value products.
“The Nantycaws RRF stands as a tangible investment in the future of the circular economy in Wales. By investing in this modern site, we are building the capacity to process materials more efficiently, boost resource recovery capabilities, support green skills development and offer long-term economic and environmental value to Welsh communities.”
Terry Keyworth, Regional Director UK and Ireland at TOMRA Recycling, adds: “It’s great to see the RRF return to full operational capacity. CWM Environmental has a clear vision for regional circularity in Wales, and our partnership has focused on building a process that is stable, flexible and capable of meeting the highest market specifications, both today and in the years to come as infeed streams change.”
The project was commissioned by principal contractor Colin White Services (CWS), who are based in Glastonbury. CWS contracted McDonald International Limited to design and build the plant.
