by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A planned new glass recycling plant is set to create 40 jobs in north west Kent.

The £5.5million project by family-owned firm Recresco is set to be built on a three-acre site at Swanscombe.

It will be the company's fifth UK plant and joins Ellesmere Port, Southampton, Cwmbran and Nottingham.

The new plant, financed by HSBC, would be able to process 40 tonnes of glass an hour. It will clean and sort the glass, removing materials such as ceramics and paper, to produce furnace-ready cullet - glass fragments - for distribution to manufacturers.

Clear and brown glass will be used mainly by UK firms, while green glass will be exported to European producers.

Recresco, based in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, near Nottingham, is set to create 40 new jobs at the plant and expects to boost turnover from £18m to more than £28m, as well as increasing overseas sales of processed glass. Exports currently account for a quarter of turnover and this is expected to rise to 50%. The new plant is due to become operational by June.

Recresco was founded in 1978 by Alan Gent, father of the four brothers who now run the company. The business has expanded in recent years to take advantage of the growth in recycling. In addition to glass, the company also processes cans, plastic and Tetrapak. It has a 120-strong workforce.

Director Tim Gent said: "This processing plant will be best in class, with 90% of what we put into the process ending up as furnace-ready cullet that we can distribute to manufacturers. We learn something new from each plant we develop so the Northfleet plant is the culmination of many years' experience and hard word."

He added: "The south east is also a key market that we have been studying for a few years but now we feel is the right time to make the move. I'm delighted to have the backing of HSBC for this project; they have demonstrated a real and thorough understanding of our company."